Blinded by Charms
by v.d.mouse
Summary: Severitus Challenge. In Harry’s fifth year he discovers a large secret that his mum kept hidden. I’m not very good at these but there is a better summery inside. Rating is for language in later chapters
1. Chapter 1

Blinded by charms

Disclaimer: Anything that you recognise does not belong to me. Harry Potter and Severus Snape along with all their friends belong to the oh so lucky J. K. Rowling.

This is a response to a Severitus Challenge. The only thing that does belong to me is the way that this has been written.

Major thanks to Zephyr5 for betaing and helping work past any writers block that has happened by giving me great ideas, as well as writting the sorting hat song seen in a later chapter

Thanks to Maisix for helping with the betaing too.

Summery: Set after the fourth book but before the fifth. Harry discovers in his fifth year that whom he though was his father is wrong. Can he learn to accept the truth and form a relationship with the man he has hated for so many years? Can Severus look past his hatred for an old foe and see the boy he must accept as his own?

Warning: it may take a little while to get into this story I tried to make the reveal happen sooner but it just didn't seem to work out. Sorry but please have patience and stick with it, and any reviews with constructive criticism will be gratefully received.

Chapter 1

The sun filtered in through thin curtains to fall on the dark haired youth lying on the bed. Slowly emerald eyes fluttered open, enjoying the quiet calm; wincing when the shrill cry from downstairs shattered it.

"BOY! GET UP BOY!"

Sighing, Harry Potter rose and went to the bathroom to wash. Looking in the mirror when he got there, he wasn't surprised to see that not only had he been getting taller over the past few weeks, but that he had begun to look different. It had all started just after his fifteenth birthday - nothing specific though. His hair had appeared different, now when the light caught it, it looked to have reddish tints scattered through it. Also his eyebrows were beginning to arch a little more, whilst his eyes were a touch narrower, but continued to hold the brilliant emerald gleam - everyone who met him told him his eyes were so like his mother Lily's.

Finishing washing, he returned to the small bedroom where he quickly got dressed before going downstairs.

Entering the kitchen, Harry saw that his uncle, Vernon, and cousin, Dudley, were both at the table already. Dudley glared at Harry, but his uncle remained hidden by the morning newspaper. As he sat down at the table, his aunt, Petunia, pushed a plate in front of him, glaring before returning to the kitchen.

"Eat up quick. You have a lot of chores to do." She called back over her shoulder. Harry just nodded and began eating the small amount of food he had been given. Once he was finished his aunt put him to work with so many chores, that by the time he went to bed he was too exhausted to try and do some of his homework. Instead he went straight to sleep.

The next morning Harry jerked awake. His scar was throbbing, and he knew he had dreamt of Voldemort, but he was unable to remember any of the details. He lay there enjoying the few minuets peace while the pain from his scar eased. It wasn't long until he heard the usual yell from downstairs.

"BOY! GET UP BOY!"

When he finally got downstairs his scar had returned to its usual dull throb that he could easily ignore. When he entered the kitchen he found Aunt Petunia glaring at him with annoyance. Not sure what he had done now, he just stood there waiting for her to say something. He didn't have long to wait.

"That old bat Figg just phoned. She has to take one of her cursed cats to the vets and so can't take you. You'll have to come shopping with us for Dudley's new school clothes."

When Dudley had returned home that summer he had been accompanied by a letter from Smeltings, politely asking if the Dursleys could get him a new uniform from a shop that specialised in boys of his size, as they were unable to do so themselves.

Harry had been told that he would be staying behind, something he had been happy with - even if it did mean going over to crazy Mrs Figg's. Now it appeared he would be going with them on the special trip to London. This was something he wasn't looking forward to, as he knew he would be made to carry everything whilst being ignored and glared at - at the same time. What was worse was that Dudley had been allowed to invite one of his friends along. Said friend, Piers Polkiss, arrived whilst Harry was eating the cold toast that Aunt Petunia had given him.

It wasn't long until they were all in Uncle Vernon's car and travelling to London. Apart from the occasional elbow in the side from Piers, who was sitting next to Harry in the car (Dudley absolutely refused to sit next to him), the journey passed relatively peacefully. As did the visit. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were busy picking things out for Dudley. Dudley and Piers were busy trying to avoid them whilst creating mischief of their own, and so left Harry alone to carry the many bags and parcels that had been collected so far.

Suddenly the day took not only a disastrous twist, but for Harry a very confusing one. He was trying to keep up with the Dursleys, stay out of reach of Dudley and Piers, and not drop anything he was carrying. Which is why he never saw the tall man in front of him until it was too late. The collision resulted in Harry dropping a few of the bags and parcels he was carrying. He was making his apologies and picking up the things he had dropped when Uncle Vernon's voice drowned him out.

"What the hell do you think you are doing dropping Dudley's new things all over the pavement boy? Why weren't you watching where you were going?" Uncle Vernon didn't wait for a reply, but proceeded to turn to the tall gentleman and was about to say the same, but the glare being aimed at him stopped him cold, and instead he began to stutter an apology of his own "Erm….so sorry….It's the boy….my nephew….bit of a dim lad you see." Before he could go any further he was interrupted.

"It is no bother, however I would have thought that Mr Potter would have learned to look where he was going by now" Harry froze, the silky voice all too familiar. Looking up, Harry found himself looking in the black eyes of the potions master from his school, Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Anything that you recognise does not belong to me. Harry Potter and Severus Snape along with all their friends belong to the oh so lucky J. K. Rowling.

This is a response to a Severitus Challenge. The only thing that does belong to me is the way that this has been written.

Major thanks to Zephyr5 for betaing and helping work past any writer's block that has happened by giving me great ideas, as well as writing the sorting hat song seen in a later chapter

Thanks to Maisix for helping with the betaing too.

Summery: Set after the fourth book but before the fifth. Harry discovers in his fifth year that who he though was his father is wrong. Can he learn to accept the truth and form a relationship with the man he has hated for so many years? Can Severus look past his hatred for an old foe and see the boy he must accept as his own?

Warning: it may take a little while to get into this story I tried to make the reveal happen sooner but it just didn't seem to work out. Sorry but please have patience and stick with it, and any reviews with constructive criticism will be gratefully received.

Chapter 2

"P…Professor Snape, sir" Harry stammered "What are you doing here?"

"Strange as it may seem to you Mr Potter, I do not spend all of my days confined to Hogwarts." Snape said with his usual sneer, but Harry was surprised to see a brief flicker of what appeared to be amusement flash through the usually tough and uncompromising professor's eyes. Harry began to realise that his uncle, who was still standing next to them, was getting slowly angrier at the fact that the man clearly knew him, and he winced at the mention of his school, waiting for the expected reaction.

Uncle Vernon had been going redder and redder in the face as his anger grew. Now he was barely in control of himself. Aunt Petunia was gripping the arms of the other two boys, despite Dudley's attempt to get away, whilst Piers just stood there puzzlement plastered all over his face at his best friend's reaction. Not to mention the reaction of Uncle Vernon to this strange man dressed in black jeans and a black long-sleeved t-shirt holding several small unmarked packages and three small bags marked with the sign of the shop he had just emerged from. Suddenly Uncle Vernon grabbed Harry by the arm.

"We want nothing to do with you _freaks_" He hissed at Severus, before dragging Harry away followed by Aunt Petunia who was dragging the other two boys. Glancing over his shoulder at Snape, not realising the helpless and pleading look he held in his eyes, Harry was surprised and shocked to briefly see a concerned look on his professor's face, until he noticed Harry looking and it disappeared, replaced with a blank and neutral expression.

The journey home was made in complete silence. Even Piers had just enough sense not to say anything, although he did keep shooting puzzled and questioning looks at Dudley, who pointedly ignored them all. Once back at Privet Drive a brief goodbye was said to Piers before Harry was pulled inside by Uncle Vernon.

Harry was pulled into the living room where Uncle Vernon immediately began yelling at him about how having a freak in the family was bad enough, but how dare he put his family in danger by openly talking to another one - and how dare he let that freak mention the crackpot of an institution he claimed was a school, not only around his family _in public_,but when one of Dudley's own friends was within earshot, thereby risking the exposure of their association with freaks who believed in complete rubbish.

Harry had finally had enough. Dealing with Voldemort and escaping with his life when others had not, had made Harry realise not only how pathetic his uncle was, but also that these bouts of anger and yelling at him were nothing more than a cover for how scared they all were of him.

"If you're quite done" he said, calmly interrupting his uncle before he could draw breath to begin ranting again. "I need to go upstairs to finish a letter I'm writing to Sirius - you know, my godfather, escaped from prison a couple of years ago." Harry watched with delight as his uncle went from a deep shade of red at being interrupted to a pale white at the mention of his godfather.

"You're writing to him still?" he forced out "Well get out of my sight then" the last bit was growled as Harry left the room to go upstairs to his bedroom. When he got there Harry looked over what he had already written to Sirius.

_Snuffles_

I'm fine. The Dursleys pretty much leave me alone now. Especially if I mention your name. It's almost funny the way they think that you will come running through the door at the mention of your name.

_I got my letter from Hogwarts the other day. I can't wait to go back. I was unsure how I'd get to Diagon Alley to get everything but Hermione has invited me to stay for the last week of the holidays and she said that we would go then._

Picking up his quill and dipping it carefully in the inkpot on his desk, Harry continued writing.

_Good news... I'm finally starting to get taller now. I think I may even be taller then Ron now!_

_I do think I need to go out in the sun more though. My aunt actually thought I might be getting sick the other day, complaining that I seem to be getting paler. I have to admit it does make me look a little different, I'm not sure you would recognise me; I'm not sure _I_ would recognise me!_

_Well I'd better go. I have to finish packing for when Hermione comes to pick me up tomorrow._

_Write back soon_

_Harry_

Rolling the parchment up, he attached it to Hedwig's leg and sent her off to deliver it. He stood at the window watching her until she was nothing more then a dot in the sky. Turning around, he finished putting all of his school things into his trunk, along with the few spare clothes and personal items he had collected during his previous four years at Hogwarts.

A few days passed until, finally, Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage (Hedwig herself had not yet returned from delivering the letter to Sirius), were in the corridor and waiting for Hermione and her parents to arrive. At 4 o'clock a car pulled up outside of the house and Hermione and a man emerged before walking up to ring the bell.

Even though Harry had told the Dursley's that both of Hermione's parents were dentists they still appeared to be nervous and on edge about the visit. When the doorbell rang Dudley dashed for the stairs and remained standing on them in case he decided he needed a quick escape. Opening the door Harry was happily greeted by his friend.

"Harry it's great to see you. How are you?" Before Harry could reply the man standing next to her grinned and offered him his hand.

"Mr Potter, glad to meet you at last. I'm Hermione's dad" He introduced himself.

"Hi Hermione. I'm good. It's nice to meet you Mr Granger, and please it's just Harry" Harry replied, shaking Mr Grangers hand before stepping to the side to let them in. As they stepped inside Mr Granger saw Uncle Vernon, with Aunt Petunia behind him, standing in the doorway to the living room.

"Ah this must be your aunt and uncle, Harry. Pleased to meet you both. I'm Hermione's father" he said politely, holding out his hand. Uncle Vernon looked at it briefly before reaching out and giving it a quick handshake before snatching his hand back as if he was afraid he would catch something from it. If he saw the annoyed look from Mr Granger he clearly decided to ignore it as he replied.

"Vernon Dursley and this is my wife Petunia and our son Dudley" he nodded his head in Dudley's direction. Dudley promptly fled up the stairs.

"A fine looking boy" Mr Granger replied "Well why don't we get your things out to the car and then we can be on our way. After all we wouldn't want to impose on your aunt and uncle, Harry" Mr Granger said, clearly understanding that they were not welcome and that the Dursleys wanted them to leave as soon as possible now that the polite introductions had been made.

"Sure Mr Granger" Harry replied before picking the empty bird cage up.

"I'm sure me and your uncle can manage the trunk don't you think?" He asked. Uncle Vernon seemed to balk at the idea of touching anything that belonged to Harry and was even remotely connected to his school, he stepped forward none-the-less and tentatively gripped one end whilst Mr Granger took the other, seemingly ignoring Uncle Vernon's reaction; if he even noticed it.

Once every thing had been loaded up Harry turned to his Aunt and Uncle.

"Well bye. See you next summer I guess" They merely nodded their heads before returning quickly to the house. Behind him Harry heard Mr Granger sigh.

"I know they are your relatives Harry, but I'm afraid I must say that I've met people like that before and have never enjoyed having to be in their company for any length of time"

"That's ok Mr Granger" Harry responded "I feel the same way myself and as you say they _are_ my relatives" This provoked a laugh from all three who then proceeded to get in the car and start off. The journey to Hermione's home being a lot happier and livelier then the one to London.

AN – I just wanted to say thank you for the lovely reviews people gave me. THANK YOU!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Anything that you recognise does not belong to me. Harry Potter and Severus Snape along with all their friends belong to the oh so lucky J. K. Rowling.

This is a response to a Severitus Challenge. The only thing that does belong to me is the way that this has been written.

Major thanks to Zephyr5 for betaing and helping work past any writer's block that has happened by giving me great ideas, as well as writing the sorting hat song seen in a later chapter

Thanks to Maisix for helping with the betaing too.

Summery: Set after the fourth book but before the fifth. Harry discovers in his fifth year that who he though was his father is wrong. Can he learn to accept the truth and form a relationship with the man he has hated for so many years? Can Severus look past his hatred for an old foe and see the boy he must accept as his own?

Warning: it may take a little while to get into this story I tried to make the reveal happen sooner but it just didn't seem to work out. Sorry but please have patience and stick with it, and any reviews with constructive criticism will be gratefully received. Also this is a very OOC chapter.

**Chapter 3 – A Potion Ruined **

Severus Snape was attempting to brew a simple potion that Albus Dumbledore had asked for. But the thought of a pair of emerald eyes silently pleading with him kept breaking into his thoughts.

It had been three days since his journey into the muggle city of London and collision with Potter. It had been his eyes, the ones that looked so like Lily's, which had bought the painful memories back to haunt him.

Three days since he had spoken to Albus about what he had seen occur. The look that muggle Dursley had given him. The silent cry for help from Harry. Although Severus doubted the boy had consciously been aware that he had asked him for help, as Severus knew that Potter hated him. Albus had assured Severus that he would look into the matter, before expressing his amusement at Severus' concern, considering how harshly he treated the lad. Severus had replied that his concern was merely due to the fact that he was Lily's child and nothing more before stalking out of Albus' office.

Now he was being plagued by the painful memory of when he had been forced to say goodbye to the one person he had truly loved and cared about. How she had begged and pleaded that they try to find another way. That she would not be able to carry on with out him. That she would never leave him.

That she loved him.

He remembered the heartbroken and shattered look in her eyes, her beautiful emerald eyes when he had choked out that he did not love her.

A lie.

But one he had justified at the time by reasoning that it was to save her.

It hadn't worked.

Now he remembered the pain he had felt when he heard about her marriage to James Potter, but it was nothing compared to the utter betrayal he felt when he heard they were to be parents. Until then he had still nursed the hope. Hope that a small part of her still cared for him. But that hope had been destroyed when he heard the news of the child.

Then the fateful night. The night Voldemort had told his 'loyal' Death Eaters of the attack they were about to launch on the Potters. Severus had been trapped, unable to send word to Albus. He had been powerless to do anything but follow Voldemort as he met with a small pathetic man - whom he recognised as Potter's friend, Wormtail - who crawled to the dark lord, spilling the precious secret. The location of Lily, her husband and their child.

He had been trapped. Forced to go and witness the death of the woman he loved. And then it had happened. To the surprise of all the Death Eaters, Voldemort's curse had rebounded. It had destroyed him. Reduced him to nothing more then a shadow. But the joy he should have felt at that had been eclipsed by the thought of the emerald eyes, once so full of life, dull forever. Never again to gleam with laughter at some joke or mischief being planned and created.

Lilly was dead.

The days after that had passed in a hazy blur of grief. The trial. Albus speaking for him, telling the council of his true position among the Death Eaters as a spy. The return to his mansion after being in Azkaban, only to find that he had missed the funeral and that the child, the Boy-Who-Lived, was now with his muggle relatives. Albus coming to him and giving him the position as Potions Master at the school.

The years had passed and then they had returned to haunt him. Those eyes. Her eyes but in the face of a boy. Her child!

Severus opened his eyes to find tears had once again escaped at the thought of Lily. Tears were silently running down his cheeks and dropping into the cauldron he was leaning over. Their salty mixture ruining the potion. With a growl he wiped them away, disposed of the ruined potion and began again. This time forcing his mind to stay on his work.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Anything that you recognise does not belong to me. Harry Potter and Severus Snape along with all their friends belong to the oh so lucky J. K. Rowling.

This is a response to a Severitus Challenge. The only thing that does belong to me is the way that this has been written.

Major thanks to Zephyr5 for betaing and helping work past any writer's block that has happened by giving me great ideas, as well as writing the sorting hat song seen in a later chapter

Thanks to Maisix for helping with the betaing too.

Summery: Set after the fourth book but before the fifth. Harry discovers in his fifth year that who he though was his father is wrong. Can he learn to accept the truth and form a relationship with the man he has hated for so many years? Can Severus look past his hatred for an old foe and see the boy he must accept as his own?

Warning: it may take a little while to get into this story I tried to make the reveal happen sooner but it just didn't seem to work out. Sorry but please have patience and stick with it, and any reviews with constructive criticism will be gratefully received.

**Chapter 4**

It had not been too difficult for Albus Dumbledore to discover that Harry was visiting Hermione Granger for the last week of the holidays. Indeed it was quite easy for him as he was used to performing the location charms, due to the years of practice had gained while keeping an eye on Harry to ensure his safety.

Sitting at his desk, Albus was absently stroking Fawkes, who had fluttered down to rest on the desk, sensing his friend's deep thoughts and offering comfort as best he could. Albus himself was considering his potions master. He thought of Severus Snape not only as a friend but almost as a surrogate son and he was concerned about him. He knew the man still loved Lily, that he had never stopped loving her no matter what he had said to her. He still remembered the night Lily had come to him in tears after the argument between Severus and her. He had even known why Severus had said what he had. Unfortunately he could not say that to Lily as he had been sworn to secrecy by Severus himself – he was not to tell Lily his reasons no matter what. It had pained him to see Lily in such a state and he had tried to comfort her as best he could without betraying Severus confidence.

He had been surprised at the marriage to James not long after that night. He was sure that she still loved Severus. Then Harry had been born. He had hardly been able to believe it. That Lily could have forgotten or stopped caring about Severus so quickly after the end of their own year long engagement.

And then the attack by Voldemort had occurred. Harry had survived. Become the Boy-Who-Lived. And though it had pained him to do so, he knew Harry had to be placed with the Dursleys for his own protection.

He had to admit that when Harry had come to Hogwarts he had been surprised at Severus' attitude towards the boy. But if he stopped to think about it, he should have expected it. After all if it was not for Voldemort and his dark desires, Severus and Lily would have been married and Harry would have been their son. No, it was no wonder that Severus treated the boy as he did. Albus knew he cared though. Even if it was only in memory of the child's mother, he cared. Which was the true reason for why he had watched over him and protected him during his years at Hogwarts. It was also why he had come to him after the encounter in London. Oh yes, Severus cared for Harry more then he was willing to admit. To either Harry or himself.

Sighing he leaned forward, shooing Fawkes back to his perch while he carried on with all the paperwork littering his desk. These days it felt like he had only just gotten through one pile of it before another replaced it. Perhaps I'm just getting old, he mused to himself with some amusement. Returning to his work he attempted to get the last of the reports completed. He wished to go and see his grandchildren that night before it was too late to do anything but look in on them while they slept.

- - - -

The last week of the summer holidays passed happily for Harry and Hermione. Unlike the Burrow, which seemed to be comprised of an organised chaos, the Granger's small, semi-detached home was neat and orderly but not obsessively so – as Aunt Petunia liked the Dursley's house.

Two days before they were due to catch the train to Hogwarts, Mr and Mrs Granger took the children to London to visit Diagon Alley. After a brief visit to Gringotts where money was exchanged and Harry refilled the leather purse he kept his own wizarding money in, they set out to buy their school things. While they were buying their books in Flourish & Blotts they ran into the Weasleys.

"Harry, 'Mione. Good to see you. How've you been?" Their friend Ron asked

"Good" they both replied while Hermione's parents started to chat with Mr and Mrs Weasley.

"So Harry what's it been like staying with 'Mione? I bet she made you do all your homework as soon as you got there!"

"RON" Hermione cried in exasperation, glaring at him.

"It's been good Ron" Harry interjected before they could start bickering "Besides I'd already done my homework at the Dursley's"

It wasn't long before they had all their school things, and the adults had given them all some time to wander around while they returned to the Leaky Cauldron for a quick drink and chat. After looking around in Gambol & Japes, the joke shop in Diagon Alley, they stopped to get an ice cream from Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour before making their way back to the Leaky Cauldron.

As they passed the Apothecary, Professor Snape emerged carrying several small packages. As soon as he saw them one of his eyebrows arched and the usual sneer appeared.

"Well, well, look who we have here! Wandering around on your own?" He asked them.

"No Professor Snape" Harry answered "We were on our way to the Leaky Cauldron to rejoin with Ron and Hermione's parents" Harry glared defiantly, joined by Ron while Hermione managed to keep her face neutral, her respect for a professor stopping her short of glaring at him herself. Snape merely returned the glares of the other two with one of his own.

"I believe I will escort you to ensure that you cause no trouble on your way there." His silky, but deadly, voice brooked no argument, and before they could protest he had moved off in the direction of the Leaky Cauldron, pausing briefly to glare back at them when they didn't move. Reluctantly they began to follow him.

When they entered the Leaky Cauldron they saw the older Weasleys (Mr and Mrs Weasley, Fred and George), and Hermione's parents standing next to the fireplace waiting to go.

"Severus! Didn't realise you were in Diagon Alley, What are you here for?" Mr Weasley asked the stern looking potions master.

"Arthur, Molly" Severus said nodding his head as he greeted them, "I'm here refreshing some of my personal supplies."

"Of course you are, really Arthur! After all what else did you think a potions master would be doing here. Now children come along we must be going." Mrs Weasley said, causing such a hustle and bustle in getting them all sorted and ready to go that no one noticed Severus pass one or two of his packages to Mr Weasley, who pocketed them along with a letter with a strange Phoenix mark on it. Nor did they see Severus pocket one or two parcels, along with a second letter from Mr Weasley, which bore the same Phoenix symbol.

Soon goodbyes had been said and the Weasleys had disappeared into the fire while Harry, Hermione and her parents left via London.

Two days later among another load of hustle and bustle the three friends found themselves together once more and on the train taking them back to Hogwarts for another year.

----

AN - Thank you once again for all the lovely reviews.

**SammyBlack80 – **thanks for pointing out the spelling. As you may have guessed I'm not very good at and depend on my spell checker and friends help. I'll try to watch it in future.

**Dragonero** – I try to write longer chapters but I find it hard. I actually write everything on paper first and it always looks longer that way, until I type it up. I'll try to make them longer but I can't promise sorry.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Anything that you recognise does not belong to me. Harry Potter and Severus Snape along with all their friends belong to the oh so lucky J. K. Rowling.

This is a response to a Severitus Challenge. The only thing that does belong to me is the way that this has been written.

Major thanks to Zephyr5 for betaing and helping work past any writer's block that has happened by giving me great ideas, as well as writing the sorting hat song seen in this chapter.

Thanks to Maisix for helping with the betaing too.

Summery: Set after the fourth book but before the fifth. Harry discovers in his fifth year that who he though was his father is wrong. Can he learn to accept the truth and form a relationship with the man he has hated for so many years? Can Severus look past his hatred for an old foe and see the boy he must accept as his own?

Warning: it may take a little while to get into this story I tried to make the reveal happen sooner but it just didn't seem to work out. Sorry but please have patience and stick with it, and any reviews with constructive criticism will be gratefully received.

**Chapter 5**

Once the train had begun to move and the three friends had found an empty carriage. They settled down and Harry filled Ron in with all he told Hermione. About the dreams where he couldn't remember any details and woke up with his scar hurting - and about his encounter with Professor Snape in London.

"Blimey! Snape in London! Weird, I didn't think he would go anywhere filled with so many muggles." Ron said when he head about the last bit. "As for your dreams, well mate I wouldn't think about it. I mean if you ask me I would prefer not to remember them if they involve You-Know-Who. Especially if half the stories about what he used to do before are true." Ron shuddered at the thought of some of the stories he had heard.

"Yeah, I guess you right" Harry said only he didn't sound too convinced. Nor did he see the worried look passed between Ron and Hermione as he looked out of the window.

"Anyway" Ron began "Harry….erm….well….thing is…."

"Ron what is it?" Harry asked amused at his friend stuttering like he was.

"It's just….I thought maybe I was imaging things back in Diagon Alley….I mean getting taller….well that's normal" Suddenly Harry knew where this was leading. Truthfully he had wondered why Hermione hadn't said anything about the changes earlier. Trust Ron to mention it though.

"What I mean is….Harry have you died your hair and done something to your eyebrows?" Ron finished looking slightly relieved to have finally said it but uncomfortable at the same time.

"I was wondering how long it would be until one of you said something" Harry said clearly amused still.

"You mean you didn't ask?" Ron asked Hermione. Now it was her turn to look uncomfortable.

"I didn't want to say anything until we were all together" she replied.

"It's all right" Harry said "It's been happening for a while. Since my birthday in fact. I'm not too sure what's going on myself. I just began to change little by little. I wrote to Sirius telling him, but Hedwig hasn't returned yet with his reply" Suddenly the carriage door opened.

"Well if it isn't Scarhead and his sidekicks." Came a familiar drawl.

"What do you want Malfoy?" Harry snapped at the blond boy who stood there with Crabbe and Goyle just behind him.

"Tell me Potter are you attempting to disguise yourself from the Dark Lord?" Malfoy said with a sneer.

"Get lost Malfoy" Hermione snapped

"Why don't you go and do us all a favour Malfoy and jump off the train" Ron contributed.

"You're not wanted here Malfoy so push off" Harry growled, glaring at the tall blond and his friends. Malfoy just laughed at them.

"As if I would want to hang around with a mud-blood, a Weasley and you Scarhead." With that he turned and left followed by his two stooges.

After that the three friends settled down again. Playing cards and chatting. Getting sweets from the trolley when the little old lady came around pushing the trolley. Other Gryffindors came by from time to time. Some of their dorm mates, Seamus, Dean and Neville. Also Ginny stuck her head in and said hi as did the twins.

As it started to get dark they changed into their robes, stuffing the last of their sweets into their pockets and waited for the train to pull into the station.

"Firs Years! Firs years this way! Oh hello you three" The familiar voice came from the end of the platform as they disembarked.

"Hi Hagrid"

"Hey Hagrid"

"Alright Hagrid" they all called to the big man.

"You'd better get goin'. Don't want to miss the carriages" Hagrid called while shepherding the new and scared looking first years over to the boats for their traditional journey across the lake.

Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way over to what Ron and Hermione saw as horseless carriages. Harry however saw some kind of creature. It was fleshless with a lack coat clinging to its skeleton, but allowing every bone to be seen. The head was dragonish with pupil-less white staring eyes. The creature had wings that sprouted from its withers. They were vast black leathery looking wings, exactly like what you would expect a large bat to have. Back in the second year Harry had discovered that neither Ron nor Hermione could see them. Climbing into the carriage they were soon joined by Ginny, Neville and Dean.

After the short journey to the castle, they were soon seated at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall waiting for the welcome feast to begin. Soon enough the doors leading to the entrance hall opened and in walked professor McGonagall followed by the First years. As they approached the front, McGonagall walked up and stood beside the stool with the Sorting hat on it. The old tattered hat sat there until McGonagall had explained that they were to be sorted into the houses momentarily. Once she had finished a tear near the base of the old tattered hat opened and it began to sing:

_In times long past when I was born_

_And lived the founders four_

_Never was it dreamed one day_

_That they would be at war_

_Twas not a war of sweat and blood_

_But of word and wit and view_

_And as the generations passed_

_The war has come to you_

_Fair, far-sighted Ravenclaw_

_She saw this day would be_

_And with the loyal Hufflepuff_

_She gave these words to me_

"_When shadows dark rise up once more_

_And the sly serpent's house has lost its way_

_When the lion's pride obscures their sight_

_And the price seems far too much to pay_

_Then must old fights be put aside_

_And new friendships swift embraced_

_Lest secrets shared are spilt to all_

_And light finds their trust misplaced"_

_So heed her warning, houses four_

_Unite or crumble from within_

_I have said what I was told_

_Let the Sorting now begin_

When the Hat had finished and the applause had died down, McGonagall began the sorting, reading the names from a roll of parchment, placing the hat on the head of the child that stepped forward before removing it when it had called what house they were to be in. It wasn't long until all the first years had been sorted and the Headmaster had given his notices when the plates began to fill and the feast could begin.

* * *

The following morning at breakfast they received their new timetables.

"Oh no!" groaned Ron "Not only do we freeze in the greenhouses with Herbology first thing on a Monday morning, but then we have the lovely delight of double potions with the Slytherins! I swear they're trying to get us to commit murder!" Ron grumbled.

"Honestly Ron." Hermione exclaimed as she sat down next to them at the table, "You're being over dramatic."

"OVER DRAMATIC! OVER DRAMATIC! Have you seen our timetable?" He asked her.

"Of course I have silly." She snapped back at him. Harry just helped himself to the bacon in front of him while they squabbled.

Eventually they were making their way down to the greenhouse, Ron and Hermione finding something new to argue about on the way.

"Good morning class." Professor Sprout called, as she emerged from further back in the greenhouse. "Now today we shall be learning about Aconite. Now who can tell me the main use for Aconite?" She asked. A few hands went up and she chose Neville Longbottom.

"Aconite - better known as Monkshood - is one of the main ingredients for the potion known as Wolfsbane, used by werewolves to help control them during the full moon." Neville answered, all of his usual nerves banished in his favourite lesson.

"Exactly right. Well done, take five points for Gryffindor. Now you all have your equipment in front of you. So divide into groups of four and then one member of your group come to the front and collect a tray of seedlings from me." Soon they were re-potting seedlings whilst Professor Sprout wondered around, making sure that they were doing things properly and telling them some of the many different properties and minor uses for the plant.

An hour later they were finally making their way down to the dungeons for their first potions lesson of the year. They had all just settled in when the door opened with a bang and the stern potions master entered.

"Put away your books. Today you shall be completing a test to see how much you have managed to remember from last year, if anything." He sneered. Harry saw his gaze slide over to rest briefly on Neville, whose nerves had returned full force under that gaze. Unfortunately Snape noticed the frown this caused Harry to direct at him. "Five points from Gryffindor, Potter, for not showing respect to a professor." Forcing the anger down Harry managed to assume a neutral, blank look as they all put their books away and Snape passed the written tests out.

The rest of the class passed in silence as they all tried to answer the questions that had been set. Harry actually found it to be quite easy, pausing over his answers only once or twice. It was five minutes from the end when Snape called for them to stop writing and pass the tests to the front.

"Potter, remain behind." Snape called as the class finally started to leave. As Harry made his way to the front he heard several Slytherins snicker at him, and received sympathetic glances from the Gryffindors. Once the last student had left the classroom and the door was closed, Snape finally looked up from the tests in front of him. "Well Mr Potter, it would appear that the headmaster wishes you to learn Occlumency, and he has asked for me to teach it to you. Therefore you will come to this room immediately after your lessons today. We will arrange a more permanent time then. Do you understand?"

"Erm….yes sir. But what is Occlumency sir?" Harry asked. For a moment he thought that Snape wouldn't answer.

"It is the art of shielding your mind from external sources. Now go. Remember come straight here after your lessons. Do not be late" He finally said.

Harry left the potions classroom to find Ron and Hermione waiting for him.

"So what did Snape want?" Ron asked.

"Apparently Dumbledore wants me to learn something called Occlumency, and he wants Snape to teach it to me." Harry answered gloomily. "We start today straight after I finish my other classes." He added.

"Rather you then me mate" Ron said, wincing sympathetically.

"Come on let's go and get some dinner." She suggested, after shooting a glare at Ron.

Severus watched Harry leave the classroom before slumping in his chair with a sigh. It was bad enough having to teach potions with those eyes trained on him, despising him. How was he to survive training Harry Occlumency - an art known to be difficult to learn and master? It would mean spending twice as much time with him. But surely Dumbledore would not have asked him if he did not think he could do it. After all, the eccentric old man he called friend and mentor was aware of his feeling for the boy - wasn't he?

Sighing again, Severus decided that the only way he would get through teaching Harry was to carry on treating him as though he was nothing special; just another student. He would have to use his penseive. Although he doubted Harry would be able to break through to his mind, he wasn't going to take the chance. Most importantly though, and yet also most impossibly, he intended to avoid looking him in the eyes.

----

AN – Are you all crazy? You actually think this is good! Well I guess that's your opinions and all I can really say, or rather shout for all to hear THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU, for all of the really nice things that people are saying and for reviewing as well.

Now I'm afraid I have to tell you all that this will be the last update for a little while as I have some personal problems that need my immediate attention and require me to stop writing for a while. I'm not sure how long this will be for. Hopefully not too long or my muses may just kill me for not letting them out to work. (They are already driving me mad as it is!) Thank you all for your lovely reviews and I promise (and hope with fingers crossed) that I will try not to be gone for too long.

Now to answer a couple of questions and comments before I disappear.

**Dragonero – **Hope this is a little longer for you, it was originally two separate chapters but even I thought them both too short so I decided it looks fine when combined into the one chapter.

**ShadowFawkes – **I wanted to introduce the idea that the order was in place once more but unfortunately as I'm not going with the book I couldn't really do anything where it was directly mentioned. Therefore the contents of the packages are unknown even to me, but it allowed me to use the idea of the strange but obvious seal they bore.

**Lady Lestrange – **I agree it is always a little tiresome to both read and write the summer holidays bit but unfortunately it has to be done. As for my writing style its only as good as it is thanks to my wonderful friend Zephyr5 to beta's my work and helps me out with it. And thanks for the invite I'll defiantly try to read some of yours.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Anything that you recognise does not belong to me. Harry Potter and Severus Snape along with all their friends belong to the oh so lucky J. K. Rowling.

This is a response to a Severitus Challenge. The only thing that does belong to me is the way that this has been written.

Major thanks to Zephyr5 for betaing and helping work past any writer's block that has happened by giving me great ideas, as well as writing the sorting hat song

Thanks to Maisix for helping with the betaing too.

Summery: Set after the fourth book but before the fifth. Harry discovers in his fifth year that who he though was his father is wrong. Can he learn to accept the truth and form a relationship with the man he has hated for so many years? Can Severus look past his hatred for an old foe and see the boy he must accept as his own?

Warning: it may take a little while to get into this story I tried to make the reveal happen sooner but it just didn't seem to work out. Sorry but please have patience and stick with it, and any reviews with constructive criticism will be gratefully received.

**Chapter 6**

Once lunch was over that afternoon, the trio of friends made their way to their first DADA lesson. As they entered the classroom and took their seats, they couldn't help but notice their new teacher waiting patiently at her desk. Harry noticed that the teacher, whom he thought resembled a large pale toad, scrutinised each student that walked through the door, almost as though each had committed some crime and that her stare would reduce them to a confession.

As soon as Harry had seen her the previous night, sitting at the staff table, he couldn't help but think of her as anything but a large toad. In truth it had been her wide, slack mouth set into the broad and flabby face that had sparked the idea. But it was her equally large, round and bulging eyes that had helped to reinforce the resemblance.

The atmosphere in the classroom was a mixture of anticipation, generated by those who had both liked and agreed with Professor Umbridge's speech at the start of year feast, with an undercurrent of wary dislike from those who believed her to be an idiot and thus easily manipulated.

When the last student had sat down, this new and unknown quantity that had entered their young lives, began her first lesson with them.

"Well, good afternoon!" She spoke in a fluttery, girlish, high-pitched voice that took Harry aback; he had been expecting a croak. A few people mumbled "good afternoon" in reply.

"Tut, tut." Said Professor Umbridge "_That_ won't do, now, will it? I should like you please to reply 'Good afternoon Professor Umbridge'. One more time, please. Good afternoon, class."

"Good afternoon Professor Umbridge." They chanted back at her.

"There, now," said Professor Umbridge sweetly. "That wasn't too difficult, was it? Wands away and quills out, please."

Many of the class exchanged gloomy looks; the order 'wands away' had never yet been followed by a lesson they had found interesting. Harry shoved his wand back inside his bag and pulled out quill, ink and parchment.

Professor Umbridge opened her handbag, extracted her own wand, which was an unusually short one, and tapped the blackboard sharply; words appearing on the board at once:

_Defence Against the Dark Arts_

_ A return to Basic Principles_

"Your teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented," stated professor Umbridge, turning to face the class. "The constant changing of teachers has unfortunately resulted in your being far below the standards we would expect to see in your OWL year. You will be pleased to know, however, that these problems are now to be rectified. We will be following a carefully structured, theory-centred course of defensive magic this year. Please copy down the following."

She rapped the board again, the first message vanishing and being replaced by:

_Course_ _Aims_

_Understanding the principals underlying defensive magic._

_Learning to recognise situation in which defensive magic can legally be used._

_Placing the use for defensive magic in a context for practical use._

The room became full of the sound of quills scratching away as they copied them down. Finally, when everyone had finished and was once again looking up at Professor Umbridge, she continued.

"Now has everyone got their copies of the set text?" There was a dull murmur of assent throughout the class. "I think we'll try that again. When I ask you a question I should like you to reply, '_Yes Professor Umbridge_' or '_No Professor Umbridge_'. So, has everyone got their copies of the set text?"

"Yes Professor Umbridge." Rang out through the room.

"Good, now turn to page five and read Chapter One. There will be no need to talk." With that said, she left the blackboard, placed herself behind her desk, and began to observe them all closely.

Harry turned to page five, only to find it was the dullest thing he had ever read in his entire life. It wasn't long before he found his thoughts drifting away from the book entirely. Pulling himself back from his own little dream world he glanced around. Ron was absent-mindedly turning his quill over and over in his fingers, clearly in his own little world too. Looking to his right Harry received a big surprise. Not only was Hermione sitting there with her hand in the air, but she hadn't even opened her own book yet. As far as Harry knew this was the first time he had seen Hermione refusing to read when instructed by a teacher!

Silently he enquired 'why?', but she just shook her head, indicating that she wasn't about to answer any questions, before continuing her patient attempt to get Professor Umbridge's attention. The professor, however, was looking resolutely in the opposite direction.

After several minutes Harry was not the only one watching Hermione. Especially

considering just how mind-numbing the reading was. Finally Professor Umbridge realised that she could ignore Hermione no longer. "Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?" She asked Hermione, as though she had only just noticed her raised arm.

"No, I have a query about your course aims." Hermione answered. Professor Umbridge raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"And your name is?"

"Hermione Granger."

"Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully." Professor Umbridge replied in a voice of determined sweetness.

"Well I don't." Hermione stated bluntly. "There's nothing written there about _using_ defensive spells." There was a short silence in which many of the students turned their heads to frown at the board.

"_Using _defensive spells?" Professor Umbridge repeated with a little laugh. "Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classes that would require such a thing Miss Granger. After all, surely you do not expect to be attacked during class, or even while you are attending this school?"

"We're not going to be using magic?" Ron exclaimed loudly.

"Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr -?"

"Weasley." Said Ron, while thrusting his fist into the air. Professor Umbridge simply smiled and turned away from him. Both Harry and Hermione raised their own hands into the air, causing Professor Umbridge to consider Harry with her large, puffy, toad-like eyes before looking at Hermione.

"Yes Miss Granger, you wanted to ask something else?"

"Yes, surely the whole point of Defence Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells?"

"I repeat," said Professor Umbridge smiling an irritating and patronising smile, "do you expect to be attacked during my class?"

"No, but-"

"I am aware," Professor Umbridge continued over Hermione's attempt to speak, "that you have been exposed to some rather irresponsible wizards, with ridiculous ideas concerning effective teaching methods. Not to mention," she gave a nasty little laugh "extremely dangerous half-breeds."

"If you mean Professor Lupin," piped up Dean angrily, "he was the best we ever-"

"_Hand_ young man! As I was saying – you have been introduced to spells that are completely inappropriate to your age group, and potentially lethal. You have been frightened into believing that you are likely to meet dark attacks every other day-"

"No we haven't," Hermione began defiantly. "We just-"

"_Your hand is not up Miss Granger!"_ Hermione put her hand up, but once again Professor Umbridge just turned away.

"It is my understanding that my predecessor not only performed dangerous and illegal curses in front of you, but actually practiced them on you."

"Well, he turned out to be a maniac, didn't he?" Said Dean, hotly. "Mind you, we still learned loads."

"_Your hand is not up, young man!_" Trilled Professor Umbridge before continuing. "Now, it is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge of the spell will be sufficient. And so, from now on, I assure you, you will be learning defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way."

"What use is that?" Harry spoke up loudly. "If we're going to be attacked, it won't be in a –"

"_For the last time students will raise their hands when they wish to speak!"_ Professor Umbridge sang, but when Harry thrust his hand into the air, quite predictably she turned away from him. But now several other students had raised their hands. "And your name is?" Professor Umbridge asked Parvati.

"Parvati Patil, and isn't there a practical bit in our Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL? Aren't we supposed to show that we can actually do the counter-curses and things?"

"As long as you study the theory hard enough, there is no reason why you should not be able to perform the spells under carefully controlled examination conditions." Said Professor Umbridge dismissively.

"Without ever practising them beforehand?" Parvati asked incredulously. "Are you telling us that the first time we'll get to do the spells will be during our exam?"

"I repeat as long as you have studied the theory hard enough-"

"And what good is theory going to be in the real world?" Harry interrupted loudly, his fist in the air again. Professor Umbridge looked at him.

"This is a school, Mr Potter, not the real world." She said softly.

"So we're not supposed to be prepared for what's waiting for us out there?"

"There is nothing waiting out there, Mr Potter." Before Harry could reply with the answer he felt bubbling in his throat, Hermione gripped his arm and fiercely whispered to him.

"_Harry no, she's just goading you, trying to get you to land yourself in trouble._" The sense in her statement managed to slice through his sudden burst of anger at the woman standing at the front of the classroom. Instead of speaking, he just glared defiantly at her. After several long moments Professor Umbridge turned away from him and instructed everyone to return to their reading.

Eventually the bell rang and everyone packed away their books and began to leave. Before they could escape though Professor Umbridge's voice sang out once more.

"Mr Potter, I would like you to remain for a few moments." Waving the others on, Harry doubled back to the front of the classroom. Once the door had closed behind the last student Professor Umbridge regarded Harry before finally speaking.

"Now, Mr Potter, I do not want any more scenes like today in my classes in future. I know that you are very fond of the headmaster, and that he has quite an influence over you. After all, he has managed to not only make you believe in, but defend the lie he has been maintaining since June concerning you-know-who."

"It wasn't a lie. Voldemort has returned. I fought him." Professor Umbridge didn't even flinch.

"Ten points from Gryffindor Mr Potter. Now, as I said, I know that you are fond of the headmaster, but surely an intelligent boy like yourself can see the impossibility in his lies-" Harry's temper finally got the better of him.

"IT WAS NOT A LIE YOU STUPID –" before he could finish what he was yelling Professor Umbridge's stone cold voice sliced though.

"Detention, Mr Potter." Harry stood there, glaring at her as she continued. "Tomorrow evening. Five o'clock. My office. Now go, before you are late for your next lesson." Spinning around, he stormed out of the classroom and past a group of second years who stared after him curiously.

The bell had just rung for the end of the last lesson for the day and the trio had emerged from an hour of Charms. Telling Ron and Hermione that he would see them later, Harry made his way back down to the dungeons.

Snape was waiting for him when he entered the classroom. All of the desks had been moved so that there was now a clearing in the centre of the room.

"Close the door Potter" Snape said moving around his desk. Picking up his own wand he moved to stand at the edge of the clearing. Closing the door and putting his bag down, Harry withdrew his own wand from his pocket and stood opposite the strict potions master.

"Now pay attention and listen carefully Potter. Occlamancy is an obscure branch of magic that the head master believes will be useful for you to learn. It is the art of learning to shield your mind from being penetrated externally, or used to influence you…."

"Influence me?" Harry asked interrupting Snape

"Do not interrupt me Potter. And you will remember your manners and call me 'professor' or 'sir'" Snape snapped before continuing. "Yes influence you which is why you must learn to close your mind. To do this you must empty your mind and separate yourself from your emotions. It requires a great deal of concentration." He explained coldly. "Now to help train you in the art of Occlamency I will be using Legimency.

Legimeny is performed through the use of a charm designed to aid the user to extract your feeling and memories.

You may use your wand to attempt to defend yourself, however it is through the control of your mind that you will be able to truly stop me" He finished explaining, and then with what appeared to be an after thought he added " I warn you now Voldermort is considered to be an expert in both arts."

Harry just nodded, wondering how he would be able to empty his mind, when as soon as he tried some though would enter and demand his attention.

"Now clear your mind Potter." Snape said raising his wand "On three…one….two….three….Legilimens"

Harry had tried to empty his mind but as soon as Snape cast the charm he felt the world around him blur and fade.

Suddenly Harry saw himself when he was nine years old and being chased by his Aunt Marge's bulldog. Ripper.

That memory faded to be replaced by Harry aged eight standing on top of a school roof with people pointing and shouting at him.

Once that faded Harry found himself lying on the floor of the potions classroom floor. What shocked him was the slight flicker of concern he had seen in Snape's eyes, before it was replaced with his usual glare as he sneered "Get up Potter" Pulling himself up, Harry told himself he had probably imagined seeing the concern. After all Snape hated him didn't he?

Two hours later Harry was pulling himself up of the floor, whilst stifling a groan.

"You _must_ learn to concentrate better Potter" Snape said as he stood watching Harry get up. "We will call it a night, but I expect you to practice the focusing techniques I have explained tonight. Is that Clear?" he asked.

"Yes sir" Harry answered as he gathered his things.

"Good. Remember our next lesson is Wednesday. However you will come here at six o'clock. And should anyone ask about you are to reply that I am giving you remedial lessons." Severus informed him.

"Yes sir" Harry responded dully before leaving the classroom.

Even though his face remained neutral Severus could not help the feelings of concern that rose within him.

Concern at the dull almost lifeless way the young man had responded.

Concern for what he had seen. Severus had barely been trying to enter the lads mind, and yet it had been so easy. And although he would never verbally admit it, he _was_ concerned and distributed by what he had seen there in child's memories.

Severus shook his head. Why in all that was magical should he be worried about a child who was probably right now cursing his very name with his friends. A young man who not only hated him, but despised being in the same room as him.

_Because he is Lily's son_ a small voice at the back of his mind claimed _Because he should have been your son!_

NO! He had to stop thoughts like that. He could not think about it. It would only lead to thoughts of Lilly, and although they were currently in his pensive, he knew to try and think of them now would only make it more painful when he replaced them later.

And replace them he would for no matter how hard he tried he could never leave them in the pensive, he always found himself craving the memory of her face, her touch.

Work! If he threw himself into his work he could delay the craving for a little longer. He could put off what he knew would inevitably occur that night when he returned to his private rooms.

With work he could try to forget.

Harry made his way to the Great Hall, trying to ignore the slight aches he felt from being thrown to the floor so often. Entering the hall he saw that Ron and Hermione were still there, eating with some other fifth years from Gryffindor. Walking over to them he sat down and began piling food onto his plate whilst joining in with the conversation. It was these rare quite moments of normalcy that he craved and loved the most.

Eventually the three friends finished eating and made their way back up to the Gryffindor common room, where they were able to push two tables together, enabling them to spread out their books and rolls of parchment as they continued making their way through the piles of homework.

"So how did the Occlumency go?" Ron asked. Harry couldn't help but groan at the thought of it. "That bad?" Ron said, frowning, both he and Hermione looking with concern at their friend.

"Yeah." Harry agreed. "No matter what I did Snape could get in my head - and I would end up on the floor." Both of them looked at Harry sympathetically. "What did you put for your position on Jupiter?" Harry asked Ron, wanting to change the subject. Taking the hint that he obviously didn't want to talk about it anymore, they went back to their homework, staying in the common room until late.

When they finally went to bed Harry felt exhausted and could barely pull his pyjamas on before getting into bed and falling asleep.

----

_He was walking down a dark corridor in an old and decaying house, not sure where he was going. Eventually he felt a gentle tugging; towards a door at the end of the corridor. Opening the door he entered a room filled with people, all of them dressed in long black robes with black hoods and wearing bone white masks that contrasted starkly with the robes. Death Eaters, Harry realised, remembering the fateful night of the Triwizard Tournament. Suddenly a door opened on the other side of the room and a figure stepped through. All of the death eaters sank to their knees with their heads bowed. Harry felt his scar begin to prickle and burn as he realised he was looking at Voldemort. _

_Lord Voldemort stood for a few moments, looking over the Death Eaters before moving to a chair - almost a throne - looking over them all. Sitting down, Voldemort gestured at the Death Eaters and they all raised their heads to look at their master. It was then that Harry saw a shadow detach itself from the wall behind Voldemort. Neither the Dark Lord nor his servants appeared to see it as it approached the throne like chair and reached out, almost as if to grab hold of Voldemort and hissing as it did so. _

"_Mine." Harry had to strain to hear the faintly hissed declaration._

_Then the shadow appeared to look up, and two black holes, which Harry assumed were its eyes, looked directly into his own._

----

Harry sat up in bed, covered in a thin film of sweat, his scar aflame. Around him he could hear the rest of the dorm sleeping. The steady sound of their breathing as they slept. Realising that, for the first time, he could actually remember what he had dreamt, and knowing he needed to tell Dumbledore about it, he was about to grab his glasses and cloak before realising the time.

_It's the middle of the night, he's probably in bed asleep himself,_ Harry thought. _Tomorrow, I'll tell him tomorrow,_ he decided.

Lying back down, Harry waited for the pain to ease from his scar before attempting to go back to sleep.

The next morning, as they made their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast, Harry nearly told Ron and Hermione about his dream before deciding against it, not wanting to worry them.

After a morning of Divination and Transfiguration, the trio were once again heading for the Great Hall when Harry turned and began heading in a different direction.

"I'll see you guys in there!" He called over his shoulder, before disappearing around the corner. Making his way to the gargoyle that Harry knew guarded Dumbledore's office, he realised he had no idea what the current password was. As he was considering this, a voice came from in front of him.

"Potter, where are you going? Should you not be heading for the Great Hall?" Looking up, Harry found Snape standing in the corridor glaring at him. For the first time Harry was glad to see him.

"I need to see the headmaster, Sir." He explained. "It's important. It's about Voldemort." The glare on Snape's face faded, and Harry thought he saw a flicker of both concern and revulsion in his eyes before the glare returned once again.

"Jelly Babies." Snape said, glaring at Harry - daring him to laugh. The gargoyle rolled back and the staircase began to rise. Indicating with an arched eyebrow that Harry should step onto it first, he then followed suit. Soon they were outside the headmaster's office door. Tentatively Harry raised a hand and knocked on the wood.

"Come in!" Came the muffled response. Opening the door they both walked in. "Ah Severus, Harry. No trouble I hope?" Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling over his half-moon glasses.

"No headmaster. Mr Potter, however, believes he has important news concerning the Dark Lord." Snape answered, making it clear he didn't believe it, causing Harry to frown and step forward.

"I had a dream about him last night Sir, and I thought you would want to know." Harry ignored the snort he heard behind him. Dumbledore, however, sent Severus a warning glance before asking them both to sit down.

"Now Harry - if you would tell us what you saw?" Dumbledore asked. Harry then told them exactly what he had seen. He didn't see Severus go pale, or the concerned look on Dumbledore's face, as he described in detail, what Severus had reported to Dumbledore that very morning about a Death Eater meeting from the previous evening. Harry was looking down, finding it easier to talk if he kept his gaze fixed on the floor. When he was finished all he heard was silence.

"Albus how is this possible?" Severus asked after a few moments.

"It is as I feared." Dumbledore answered. "There is a connection. Harry, I must ask you to work hard on your Occlumency lessons." Dumbledore said, finally speaking directly to Harry.

"Yes Sir." He said, still not looking up as he wondered what 'connection' they were talking about. Surely they didn't mean between him and Voldemort?

"Run along Harry, and don't worry, everything will be fine." Dumbledore dismissed him. Leaving the office he went to catch up with Ron and Hermione in the Great Hall. Snape stayed behind in Dumbledore's office.

"How is it possible that he saw the meeting? Although I don't know about this 'shadow' he mentioned." Snape questioned.

"It would appear that Harry received more then just a scar that fateful night fifteen years ago." Dumbledore replied "A connection between Harry and Voldemort was formed." Severus winced slightly at the mention of the name.

"A connection? What kind of a connection?"

"A bond, allowing Harry to not only sense when Voldemort is near by - as he did in his first year here - but also allows him to feel any intense emotions that Voldemort is feeling."

"That still does not explain how he saw last nights meeting."

"It would seem that since Voldemort's return to his own body, the connection has become fully activated. As such, Harry can now enter the mind of Tom Riddle."

"What!" Exclaimed Severus, feeling a sudden pang of sympathy for the boy at the thought of such a thing.

"Severus, it is imperative that Harry leans Occlumency before Voldemort discovers the connection himself. I only hope that though this branch of magic we can protect Harry's mind." Nodding, Severus rose.

"He will Albus." He reassured the old man, then turned and left the headmasters office, heading for the dungeons.

----

AN – Yay I'm back. Sorry it's been so long Stuff needed sorting and it took longer then I thought. But now I'm back and writing is once again in my life. Ok a warning to you all Uni just started up again so my updates may only be possible at the weekend, but hopefully I will be able to make them a regular thing, fingers crossed of course.

I want to say thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, it's nice to know that people are actually enjoying this.

Now to answer a couple of questions and comments:

**glassdragon2 – **Thanks for the well wishing, and thank my very good friend Zephy5 for the song as she very graciously created it for me.

**duj – **What can I say I missed that, sorry I'll try to do better and be more observant promise :)

**Lady Lestrange – **Thnak you soooooo much for letting me use the whole nightmare thing, I've already written it too I just hope you like it and yes I promise to credit you and soon well watch this space as the reveal is soon to occur! Oh and don't worry I have every intention of finishing this :)


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Anything that you recognise does not belong to me. Harry Potter and Severus Snape along with all their friends belong to the oh so lucky J. K. Rowling.

This is a response to a Severitus Challenge. The only thing that does belong to me is the way that this has been written.

Major thanks to Zephyr5 for betaing and helping work past any writer's block that has happened by giving me great ideas, as well as writing the sorting hat song

Thanks to Maisix for helping with the betaing too.

Summery: Set after the fourth book but before the fifth. Harry discovers in his fifth year that who he though was his father is wrong. Can he learn to accept the truth and form a relationship with the man he has hated for so many years? Can Severus look past his hatred for an old foe and see the boy he must accept as his own?

Warning: it may take a little while to get into this story I tried to make the reveal happen sooner but it just didn't seem to work out. Sorry but please have patience and stick with it, and any reviews with constructive criticism will be gratefully received.

**Chapter 7**

Two weeks later and Harry was now going to Occlumency lessons every night. By now the charms that were causing what was still unknown to him, the revealing of his true appearance, had progressed to the stage where he had awoken one morning to find he no longer needed his glasses.

This had worried Harry, but not wanting to make his friends worry too he had slipped out of their dorms early and after a little research in the library soon found a spell to charm his glasses so that while they still had glass in them they were no longer of a prescription, thus allowing him to wear them with out seeing the world as a blur.

As long as no one else tried them on he would be safe, thankfully that had been the last and most recent change, he hoped there would be no more.

The lesson for this particular night was not going well as he was once again seeing himself running from a group of boys; he recognised one of them as his cousin. Suddenly the scene changed, and he was next to the lake as hundreds of Dementors closed in around him.

Opening his eyes, he found he was, yet again, on the floor of the potions classroom. He looked up at Snape, who was grimacing in pain as several large red welts appeared on his hand and wrist.

"Tell me, did you intend to use a stinging curse?" The potions master asked, examining the marks, before casting the counter-curse and causing the injuries to disappear. Harry shook his head as he pulled himself up. "You are wasting time relying on your wand. You need to repel me with your mind. Only fools cannot control their emotions, allowing their memories to dominate their minds. Are you practising as I told you to?" Snape demanded scornfully, sounding certain that the 'true' answer was no.

"Yes, Sir." Harry answered, allowing some of the anger he felt towards his teacher to colour his voice slightly. If Snape heard him, he clearly chose to ignore it.

"On three Potter; one….two…..three…._Legilimens_." As soon as the charm was spoken Harry felt the world around him begin to fade. He saw himself standing in a graveyard, green light flashed before his eyes and then he saw Cedric Diggory. The boy was just laying there, his eyes cold and dull - devoid of life.

'_NO!'_ A small voice in the back of his mind cried. _'NO! NOT THAT!'_ He refused to see that. He would not let Snape see that, or how it upset him, made him wish….

Suddenly he felt his mind clear.

_He found himself watching a younger Snape standing in a dark room, wearing a long black robe. _

_Behind the young Snape, sitting on a throne-like chair, was Voldemort. _

_Snape's wand was pointing at a woman chained to the wall. _

_Harry felt sick to his stomach as he heard a scream rip from a throat that sounded raw. As if she had been screaming like that for hours already. _

_Finally Snape lowered his wand, and Harry saw the young woman's thin and fragile-looking body sag. It was clear that only the chains holding her in place prevented her from sliding to the cold stone floor._

As suddenly as he had found himself in the memory, he was pulled from it and thrown across the classroom, where he felt as well as heard the dull thud of his head connecting with the wall. He slid to the floor himself, as the woman in the memory had been unable to do, as darkness began to overtake him. His vision fading, the last thing he saw was Snape rushing towards him as though he was actually concerned.

----

Harry found himself standing, alone, in the classroom where he had collapsed, but it was…different. The desks were still against the wall, leaving the space used for his Occlumency lessons, but all the colours had been drained to leave only a monochrome environment. As he looked around, a large black shadow slowly detached itself from the shadows in one of the dark corners. Fear began to rise in Harry as he recognised the shadow from his dream. A section of the shadow slid back, almost as if it was a hood, and two points of shadow, somehow darker than the rest, were revealed, seemingly the eyes of the creature - and looking directly at him.

"_Harry Potter._" The shadow hissed, though no mouth was visible. The fear in Harry grew as he heard it speak.

"What do you want?" He asked, glad that his voice barely shook as he forced his fear down.

"_You._" Was the answer that he received.

"Why? Who are you?"

"_I am that whom all must meet. I am the shadow at the end of time. I am the end of the end, where at last I shall consume myself. Bought into being mere moments after time began, I shall cease my existence mere moments after it ends._"Harry didn't understand, but he got the feeling that this was all the answer he would be given concerning the shadow's identity.

"What do you want with me?" He asked instead.

"_I do not have long. For now I can only reach to you through dreams or while you are unconscious._"

"What do you want?" Harry asked again.

"_Thomas Marvolo Riddle!" _Came the angry response._ "He escaped me fifteen years ago; only you can help ensure I get what is rightfully mine._" The shadow answered, surprising and confusing Harry.

"How can _I_ help you?" But everything was starting to darken around him. "WAIT!" He yelled. "HOW CAN I HELP YOU?" But he received no answer as everything disappeared, the two empty eyes fading last.

----

Opening his eyes as he regained consciousness, Harry found himself staring at the ceiling of the Hospital wing. Looking around he found both the headmaster and Snape beside his bed.

"Help whom Harry?" Dumbledore asked frowning in concern at the young boy. To Harry's surprise the headmaster's expression was mirrored by Snape.

"The shadow." He answered. "The one from my dream. He wants me to help him get Voldemort." Snape winced slightly as Harry said the name.

"Tell me exactly what you saw." Dumbledore said gently. Taking a deep breath, Harry told them about the monochrome room and the appearance of the shadow, shuddering slightly as he remembered the empty holes that, he assumed, had been its eyes. It was then that he felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Looking up, expecting to see Dumbledore and ready to smile his thanks, Harry was shocked to see that the hand belonged to Snape. After staring for a few moments - he thought the man hated him as much as Voldemort - Harry gave him a small smile of thanks, and then continued his tale.

He told them about the conversation he'd had with the shadow, making sure to include the confusing description it had given of itself in the hopes that Dumbledore would be able to make sense of it.

When he had finished, he looked up from the spot on the bed he had been staring at, finding Dumbledore deep in thought. Finally, after what seemed like a long time to Harry, but was in reality no more then a minute or two, the twinkle returned to the headmaster's eyes and he smiled reassuringly.

"It is possible that you merely dreamt all that you recall. However, I will look into what you have told us." Harry couldn't help the spark of anger that swelled up when Dumbledore suggested it had all been a dream. It had been too real for it to be only a dream. But as soon as the anger rose he pushed it back; what he'd said _did_ sound like a dream. "Now if you will excuse me. " The headmaster rose and left the hospital wing.

Somewhat belatedly, Harry realised that Snape still had a hand on his shoulder. Looking up at the man standing next to him, their eyes met, and Harry saw the same concern in them that he remembered seeing before falling unconscious earlier.

After a few moments Snape removed his hand and sat down in the chair next to the bed, refusing to look directly at him now that the eye contact had been broken.

"We must talk about what you saw…" he began.

"I understand. You used to work for Voldemort." Snape winced slightly. "You've done horrible stuff, but you turned against him. It's not you anymore." Harry kept his eyes fixed on the blanket.

"I am still your teacher; remember your manners. I do not like being interrupted and Stop. Saying. That. Name!" Snape bit out. Harry meekly nodded. "I did not intend for you to see such memories." Snape's voice softened. "Unfortunately my own pensieve is full at the moment." Harry felt a pang of sympathy that the man should have so many dreadful memories, but he still held his tongue, listening. This was probably as close to an apology as he would ever hear Snape get. "Also, I admit to believing that, should you gain any ability at Legilimency, my own skills in Occlumency would be sufficient enough to keep you from such memories. It would appear I was wrong." At this Harry finally looked up, staring at his potions master.

He was still finding it difficult to see Snape looking concerned, but to actually hear him _say_ 'I was wrong' was…well, he wouldn't have believed it possible if he hadn't just heard it himself.

Seeing Harry staring in disbelief, Snape couldn't help the small smile that began to tug at the corners of his mouth.

"I would appreciate it if you did not repeat any of this to anyone. Including your two friends." Harry nodded, intending to leave it there.

"Do you mean about the memory of my discovering that you can be human?" His eyes widened as he realised he'd spoken the glib thought aloud. To his disbelief, rather than exploding at him, Snape actually chuckled lightly. The smile appeared again as he arched one of his thin eyebrows in amusement.

"Both."

Harry didn't think anyone would believe him anyway, so he tentatively returned the smile, thinking that perhaps he'd been wrong all these years. Maybe Snape wasn't the complete bastard that everyone thought he was. After all, Dumbledore had given him a second chance, along with a job in a place that the headmaster was sworn to protect. If Dumbledore trusted Snape then surely there had to be something good about the man – besides, could a truly evil man smile and laugh as the professor had just done?

Seeing Harry drift off into his own thoughts, Snape couldn't help but wonder what thoughts his uncharacteristic behaviour had created. Sighing mentally, he couldn't help but hope that, one day, he would be able to explain that the only reason he treated the boy so badly, was because he had to maintain an act. He had to convince the children of the Death Eaters he knew still watched him, that he had nothing but contempt and hatred for the boy. Especially now that he was a spy once more.

_But is that the only reason for your behaviour?_ A small voice in his mind spoke up. _Is it not also because of who the boy's father is?_ It questioned. Snape had to grudgingly agree; he did resent the fact that Harry was the son of his past enemy, James Potter, and he did take it out on the child.

His thoughts caused the smile to dim and fade from his lips, but he was pulled from them sharply as he realised that Harry had said something.

"I wanted to say thank you, Sir. For teaching me Occlumency." Harry repeated, clearly having seen that he hadn't heard the first time. Snape was slightly taken aback. Was Potter really saying thank you - to him? Even after the way he consistently treated the boy? Despite the hints of teasing from them both mere moments ago, he still wouldn't have expected the boy to be so forgiving after one moment of pleasantry, compared to five years of vitriol!

"Yes, well... Just make sure that you practice what I told you." He replied, still slightly befuddled by the turn the conversation had taken. It was then that he felt a tingling beginning in his forearm. Not wanting the boy to see the pain this would cause him, he rose to his feet. "Poppy will no doubt be here to ensure you get some rest; I ask again that you do not tell your friends any of this." With that he turned and left the hospital wing, leaving a confused young man behind.

He just made it through the doors, hearing them close behind him as the pain blossomed and spread from the dark mark, burnt forever into his arm. Knowing he would have a great deal to consider when he returned, he hurried from the castle to the edge of the protection wards where he kept his black robe and white mask, gathering them up before apparating away.

Back in the Hospital wing Harry was flummoxed on what had just happened. No scratch that he just plain suspected that someone had entered the hospital wing and cast a confundus charm on him, without not only Harry not seeing them, but Madam Pomphrey, Snape or the Headmaster seeing them either!

Or maybe there was something wrong with Snape. Maybe he was under some kind of nice-guy spell that made the stern potions master appear to actually be a member of the human race and that maybe, just maybe he could be an ok and decent gut.

Harry gave a snort of laughter and thought, _yeah right like Snape would ever put himself in a position for such a spell to be cast anywhere near him let alone on him!_

No if it wasn't a spell maybe he had slipped into an alternative reality where Snape was a nice person but had then slipped right back into the 'real world' where he was just a complete bastard!

Shaking such thoughts from his head Harry pulled the covers up and went to sleep.

It wasn't until dinner the next day that Harry was allowed to leave the hospital wing.

Entering the Great Hall he found his friends at the Gryffindor table waiting for him.

"I see Pomfrey finally let you go mate." Ron said in greeting as Harry sat down next to him.

"Yeah, she wanted to keep me in for another night, but I assured her I would take it easy and get an early night." He replied, helping himself to some ham salad sandwiches and a goblet of pumpkin juice.

"Well, you didn't miss much this morning. The homework for Defence is to read chapter five and write a summary of it, and Professor Flitwick began discussing lineage charms - we have to produce a family tree for next lesson." He could always trust Hermione to make sure he knew what he had missed.

"Thanks Hermione." Harry said, smiling at his friend.

"Hermione, he just got out of the hospital wing. He doesn't want to hear about homework." Ron said.

"Well I'm sure he doesn't want to fall behind." She replied waspishly.

"He won't, he was only in there for one night." Ron responded in the same tone of voice. Harry continued to smile as he listened to his two best friends argue. Feeling relaxed, he thought about how all this bickering between the two could be seen as indications for rather different feelings.

Glancing around while he waited for the argument to finish, he smiled and returned the nod of acknowledgement he received from the headmaster. His eyes then continued down the table, as if drawn without any question of resistance, where they met the dark eyes of Severus Snape. Then his smile faltered slightly, the confusion he had felt in the hospital wing resurfacing.

Finally he made a decision and renewed the smile, along with a second nod of acknowledgement aimed at the stern looking man.

After receiving a well hidden, but slightly shocked smile and return nod, Harry turned around and, finding his friends discussing another topic, joined in whilst he finished his dinner.

Up at the staff table Severus Snape suddenly found his thoughts and feelings in conflict. Not that he let this fact alter his neutral expression.

Normally he would be sitting there, trying to avoid conversation with his colleagues, or glaring at any student dumb enough to catch his eye. Now though, he was contemplating the enigma of one Harry Potter.

Normally this would result in thoughts of dislike for the boy, but today his thoughts were confused…questioning - and the biggest question; why had Potter smiled at him just now, after all the years of verbal abuse?

Could he have been wrong about him? Yes, most of what he said was for the benefit of the children of Death Eaters, who were certainly reporting back to their parents, but surely he would not have been so harsh on him if he did not, in some way, deserve it? But…he couldn't help but remember his thoughts in the hospital wing; much of his dislike for Potter was due to his hatred of the boy's father. Still, none of that explained why the boy had thanked him – or smiled at him just now.

Why, if he wasn't the loathsome attention seeker that he thought the boy to be, would Potter be treating him in a far more neutral and possibly even civil manner then either of them had in the past five years.

Also, was his appearance beginning to change? It was true that, in his own personal quest to both appear loyal to the Dark Lord, and avoid painful memories, he had not paid much attention to the boy's looks before. But since starting the Occlumency lessons, he hadn't been able to help noticing the subtle differences in his features. Perhaps he should mention it to Albus?

Movement caught his eye, and he carefully watched the trio rise and leave, laughing at some joke, probably at his Slytherin's expense. Finishing his own dinner, he rose from the table to go and prepare for his afternoon classes, knowing that the night ahead held only more work marking the many essays and tests waiting in his rooms.

The thought of said paperwork made him sigh mentally, feeling worn and rundown. _Perhaps tonight I'll only mark for an hour_, he thought to himself, deciding that he could do with some time off. _After all, I still have that bottle of wine from my last trip to Hogsmeade. Perhaps I'll open it and try to finish 'The Call of the Wild' instead_.

It was only those thoughts that helped to get him through the next excruciating hours of teaching without taking too many points, or distributing detentions for the smallest mistakes.

When lessons had finished for the day, Ron, Harry and Hermione decided to study in the library for the few hours before the evening meal. Looking over the different topics, Harry decided to begin with Charms - leaving Ron and Hermione to pick their own topics to work on - since it sounded the most interesting; he'd always wanted to find out more about his family after all, something that he'd hardly needed the incident with the Mirror of Erised to prove. Certainly there'd been all the conversations he'd had with his godfather Sirius Black, and his DADA Professor Remus Lupin, but still…

Choosing the books he believed would help him, Harry returned to the table he and his friends were sitting at. Reading through the books, he soon discovered that Charms was not the only magic used to discover the lineage of an individual. There were, in fact, also several potions, however, they all required the blood of a member of the family that was being traced. As this was for his Charms lesson though, Harry simply skipped over those pages, considering them to be largely irrelevant to his work.

After nearly half an hour, he found a charm considered to accurately reveal a person's lineage. It involved placing two drops of blood onto a piece of parchment, and then casting the charm onto the blood-soaked paper. Deciding it would be best to perform the, very nearly, illegal charm out of any teacher's sight, Harry decided to wait until he, Ron and Hermione were back in the privacy of the Gryffindor common room.

Harry put the charms book to the side, intending to check it out before they left, and picked up his DADA homework, losing himself in an essay on the Ministry distinctions between 'Beast' and 'Being' until it was time for the evening meal.

----

Light from the fire played off the pin in Hermione's hand as she, Harry and Ron sat in the Gryffindor common room, ready to perform the lineage charm that Harry had discovered. They had waited until they were the only ones in the common room, for secrecies sake, and it was rapidly approaching midnight.

Holding his hand out, Harry nodded his permission to Hermione. Giving him a small nod of her own, she leaned forward, quickly and efficiently pricking the pad of his forefinger.

The sharp sting made Harry wince slightly, the blood welling up as soon as Hermione withdrew the pin. It wasn't a large hole, but it had been deep, necessary if enough blood were to flow out before it naturally clotted and sealed the injury.

Making sure that the parchment was under his hand, Harry turned his finger over and allowed two drops to fall onto it. He then proceeded to place his sore finger in his mouth, soothing it and helping the wound to close, as well as cleaning away the remaining blood.

Moments later, he removed his finger and picked up his wand, pointing it at the parchment.

"_Aperius Atavo._"

A small golden ball of light emerged from the tip of the wand and surrounded the parchment, causing it to glow for a few seconds.

When the glow subsided, they could all see that it was now covered in golden writing. Picking it up eagerly, Harry began to read the names that had appeared. A frown of confusion began to form on his face as he began to recognise some of the surnames on the parchment, but it quickly became outright disbelief as he reached the very end, where his father's name should have been.

"Harry? What's up mate?" Ron asked, as a sudden smile of amused relief broke out on Harry's face.

"It's nothing," Harry began, immediately proceeding to contradict himself. "I must have done the charm wrong - according to this I'm Snape's son!" He explained, snickering.

"What!" Ron exclaimed, almost dying of shock before realising that Harry had to be right, he had to have done the charm wrong, and breaking out into his own fit of relieved laughter. Hermione, however, was frowning.

"I don't know Harry. I don't think you did it wrong…"

"Oh, come on Hermione. Do you really think Snape could be Harry's dad? Hell, I bet no woman would even go _near_ that greasy git!" Ron exclaimed, face twisting in disgust at the thought.

"No, I guess not." She finally agreed, breaking into a small smile of her own as the frown faded away.

They decided to go to bed after that, and saying good night, they went up to their respective dorms, still snickering slightly at the results of the charm, and not for one moment believing that they might be real...

Reading over the charms book again the next morning, more carefully this time, Harry discovered that many witches and wizards believed potions to be more accurate in areas such as discovering such a family lineage.

Although creating the family tree was homework for Charms, Harry was sure that, if he explained that the charm he had tried to perform hadn't worked properly, thus prompting him to use a potion, then Flitwick shouldn't complain too much. After all, he would still be completing the assignment, and he had _tried_ to use a charm to do it.

Reading over the potions, he quickly discovered that they were a lot more complex then anything he had brewed before, and even Hermione, when he showed her the instructions, shook her head and regretfully announced they were Master level, which she was not. So, determined to discover his _true_ lineage, he decided to take his life in his hands and ask Snape for help. He knew the Potions Master did have a human side from their – still secret – conversation in the Hospital wing, even if it _was _well buried. And besides, it _was_ for a homework assignment.

Still, even after he'd made the resolution to ask for help, it took him the rest of the day to gather the courage to actually ask, just before they began that evening's Occlumency lesson…

* * *

AN: Latin 'Aperio' (reveal) and 'Atavus' (ancestor)

Hey sorry its been so long with the update uni has kinda been getting on top of me and this is starting to take a back seat to my Dark Harry fics at the moment but I promise that I will continue work on this.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed it means so much to get the support.

Dragonero: Hmmm play Umbridge interesting thought I hadn't planned on having her in this too much I have to admit I realy hated her character but now that you mention it I think I may be able to think of something to get back at her…hmmm. As for Snape helping Harry well he may be stricter to begin with but that will all change soon :)

rosiegirl, leggylover03, HecateDeMort: Thanks for the kind words I hope you like this chapter too :)

Padawan Jan-AQ: Glad you liked the dream, I agree with the hating of Umbridge too she was such a slimy character the thought of her just makes me want to shudder.

And don't worry I think I can think of a way to exact revenge on her for that detention evil smirk

Zephyr5: Your right take up betaing full time and it will be a short career! LOL only joking you know all my threats are empty, well except for that one time but I swear next time my throwing of pillows will become more accurate! LOL

Otherwise major thanks for all your help with this chapter you know it would never be as good as it is and I could never deserve all those reviews if it wasn't for your help so consider them part yours too, does that help with the jealousy:)

Well I hope to not keep it too late till the next update but until then people

Keep writing and have fun

V.d.Mouse


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Anything that you recognise does not belong to me. Harry Potter and Severus Snape along with all their friends belong to the oh so lucky J. K. Rowling.

This is a response to a Severitus Challenge. The only thing that does belong to me is the way that this has been written.

Major thanks to Zephyr5 for betaing and helping work past any writer's block that has happened by giving me great ideas, as well as writing the sorting hat song

Thanks to Maisix for helping with the betaing too.

Summery: Set after the fourth book but before the fifth. Harry discovers in his fifth year that who he though was his father is wrong. Can he learn to accept the truth and form a relationship with the man he has hated for so many years? Can Severus look past his hatred for an old foe and see the boy he must accept as his own?

Chapter 8 

Entering the classroom, Harry found it set up as usual for his lesson, with Snape sitting behind his desk marking some essays. He glanced up as the door opened and Harry entered, but finished what he was doing before putting the quill down and picking up his wand.

"You're late. Now, last time you made progress. Let us see if you can continue to do so."

"Erm…Excuse me Professor, but I was wondering if we could miss the lesson tonight?" Harry asked tentatively.

"Not only have I consented to give upmy free time to teach you, but the Headmaster himself believes it to be important for you to learn Occlumency." Severus pointed out icily. "So I would be _extremely_ interested to learn the reasons for such a request." He glared at Harry.

"I understand it's important Professor." Harry said, determined not to let the Professor intimidate him. "But I was hoping that you would help me with a complex potion." There, he had said it. Harry stood there, watching the Potions Master in front of him warily.

Severus was curious - what kind of potion was he intending to brew, and why?

"What is it and why do you need it?" He sneered at the young man, whom he could clearly see was nervous.

"I have to produce a family tree for Charms, Sir." Harry answered. "I thought that you could help me brew the Priori Progenitas Potion."

"Should you not use a _Charm_ if it is for your _Charms_ homework?" Severus asked, musing that the boy seemed to have finally learned his limits – at least as far as potion making was concerned.

"I did, but Professor Flitwick said that we could earn extra marks by ensuring that they were completely accurate, and recommended using potions to validate anything we produce, as they tend to be more accurate." This sounded suspicious to Snape. He had never heard Flitwick give such a recommendation on his assignments in the past, but then he didn't exactly stick to a constant way of teaching as Severus did. It didn't really matter, he could always check with the small professor later that night; not that it meant he was going to let Potter off the hook so easily.

"That fails to explain why you are the only one to make this request Potter."

"The other students haven't chosen the most accurate, and therefore the most complicated potion, Sir." Harry replied, as calmly as he could. His temper, always quick to rise these days, had started to swell for some unknown reason, but Harry knew that if he gave into it then Snape would surely refuse to help; and Harry desperately wanted to prove the charm from the night before wrong, especially since something about it still unsettled him. For some reason he couldn't shake the feeling that he hadn't made a mistake…but that couldn't be true. James Potter was his father – everyone knew it. So, why did he feel uncertain all of a sudden?

Severus saw the struggle it was for Harry to keep his temper and smiled internally. S_o the brat is finally learning some manners as well_, he thought, _even if he still can't form a decent lie to save his life. Doesn't he realise that Miss Granger would most certainly choose the most accurate potion, as well as coming to pester me to supervise its brewing? Still, if he is that determined to brew this potion, perhaps I should play along and use the situation to my advantage._

"I see…and just how will this benefit me when several key ingredients will no doubt have to be taken from my own personal stores?" Snape pressed, testing to see if he could get Harry to lose control of his anger, thus giving him an excuse to refuse – not that he _needed_ an excuse. Still, it would give him an even better idea of how much Harry wanted this potion, and thus how much he might be able to benefit from that want.

"I would…pay for replacements, Sir." Harry answered, anger barely restrained. Severus could see how much he was starting to struggle to keep control, but decided to give the boy one last push.

"Of course you will Potter, however I require something more. Information." He stated, almost as if he was negotiating a deal, which, in a way, they were.

Harry wasn't sure what kind of information he could have that Snape would want, but he was willing to risk it for his help in proving that damn charm wrong. So, making sure he had complete hold of his anger, he agreed.

Severus was, he had to admit, almost impressed with the child's ability to control himself. Still, he couldn't help but smirk at how quickly he agreed, without even knowing what information, even in general, he was looking for.

It was a decision that would reveal things about them both.

----

With a flick of his wand Severus pulled one of the desks back into the space that he had previously cleared for Harry's Occlumency lesson. A few more flicks, and Severus soon had a cauldron sitting over a gentle heat with a small amount of water on the bottom. Making a brief trip to his private store room, Severus returned and laid out the ingredients and equipment he would need on the desk.

"Make yourself useful Potter; cut this into _fine_ pieces." He said, pushing a dark coloured root in front of Harry. Without saying a word Harry picked up a knife and began to prepare it.

They worked in silence until all but one of the ingredients had been added and the potion was simmering away.

"Hold out your hand, Potter." Severus commanded. Harry, knowing what to expect, obediently held his hand over the cauldron, bracing himself for what was to happen next.

Severus took a small pin from the desk, quickly piercing Harry's index finger. He knew that if Dumbledore ever found out about this, he would demand an explanation for the drawing of blood from his precious golden child; a further reason, in Severus's mind, to doubt the reasons Potter had used to 'persuade' him to brew this potion.

Harry turned his finger over and allowed three drops of blood to fall into the cauldron before he stuck the digit in his mouth to stop the bleeding.

"Good. Now, I assume you have a quill and parchment?" Severus asked. Harry nodded and pulled his spare quill and a piece of parchment out of his bag. Severus took the quill and, after ensuring the flame was as low as it could go without going out, placed it in the cauldron, making sure it was completely submerged. The parchment was placed on the desk next to the cauldron.

"Now it needs to absorb the potion. It should take ten to fifteen minutes – plenty of time for us to have a little chat." Using his wand to pull one of the stools across the room, he indicated that Harry should sit while he leaned back against the desk, making sure not to disturb anything on it.

"You don't like me, do you Potter?" Severus finally asked after several moments of silence. Watching his teacher warily, Harry was unsure how to answer. What did he really want to hear? _The truth_, a small voice at the back of his mind said.

"No, Sir." He answered. Snape nodded, appearing to appreciate his honesty.

"Tell me, Potter – do you know why I have been so harsh with you these past four years?" Harry nodded.

"Because of your position as a spy…but…." This caused Snape to arch his eyebrow in curiosity.

"But _what _Potter?" Up to this point they had both been watching each other warily, but now Harry found himself unable to look at Snape, who had begun to glare at him.

Harry was unsure if he should answer, but the small voice at the back of his mind spoke once again, reminding him that he had agreed to this in return for the Potion Master's help. So he looked back at Snape, unaware that his eyes had filled with defiance.

Harry's look made Severus catch his breath for a moment; the sudden memory of a different set of eyes – so like Harry's – filled with defiance, then showing the betrayal that he himself still felt, was so painful that he barely caught himself before he looked away. Steeling himself he pushed the memory away, cursing himself for missing that memory when he had used his pensive not an hour ago. It all happened within a fraction of a second, and Harry didn't appear to notice the effect he'd had on Snape.

"My father. You hated him and you think I'm the same as him, just like everyone else." Harry was answering. Severus was surprised to hear the slight bitterness that entered the boy's voice. "You hated my father so you hate me."

"And who told you this?" Severus asked, suppressing the brief spark of surprise he'd felt at learning that Harry knew how intense the rivalry had been between James Potter and himself. Certainly he had informed the boy of how he had ended with a life debt to James, but he had said nothing to indicate the depth of the hatred that had existed.

Although Severus had to admit to never quite understanding the full reason behind why James _had_ hated him so much.

"Professor Quirrell and the Headmaster told me in my first year. The Headmaster said it was a lot like how Draco Malfoy and I hate each other. Then after the incident in the Shrieking Shack in my third year, well, it's obvious you don't get on with Sirius, my dad's best friend and my Godfather." Severus arched an eyebrow, but decided to ignore the last part.

"And just _what_ have you been told?"

Harry was starting to feel like he was being interrogated for a crime, not answering the questions of a school Professor. But then, this _was_ Professor Snape asking the questions.

"That you and my dad loathed each other when you were both at school together." He answered, trying – and succeeding – to appear calm. Severus stood in silence for a few moments, steeling himself to ask his next question.

"And what have you been told of…your mother?"

Harry hadn't expected that. He'd thought that Snape would have carried on trying to find a way to badmouth his father, and he was slightly taken aback by the sudden change in subject.

"I've been told that I have her eyes, and Professor Lupin told me that she was kind and caring and helped those who needed it, no matter who or _what_ they were." He answered, emphasising the last knowing full well that Snape hated Lupin not because he had been a friend of his fathers, like his godfather, but because he was a werewolf.

Werewolves; a group of people feared throughout the wizarding world, because of a curse they had to endure that meant every month they turned into wild animals that would kill their best friends… As Lupin had nearly done to Sirius at the end of Harry's third year.

"She was the kindest woman." Severus spoke, his voice breathy and almost beyond Harry's hearing, a distant expression on his face as a small smile appeared to tug at the corners of his mouth. He quickly snapped back into reality however, and a more familiar glare settled on his features. "Have you had any more dreams of the Dark Lord?" The question was snapped, and Harry realised that Snape had once more accidentally shown him something he wasn't meant to see, just as he had in the hospital wing, and was now defensively changing the subject. _Very well, if that's what he wants_, Harry thought.

"No Sir…at least, not that I can remember. Sometimes when I wake up I feel, I don't know, like I've been casting loads of spells and exhausted myself." Harry didn't look at Snape as he answered this question, so he didn't see the flicker of concern – the same flicker that had broken through the moment he had been thrown across the classroom two days ago. Snape, on his part, pushed it back as he had done before, refusing to acknowledge such a feeling for a child he had forced himself to dislike for so many years.

"I see." There was a pause. "Tell me, have you told… Have you told anyone of our conversation in the Hospital Wing?"

The hesitation caused Harry to look up at him once more. Was Snape really worried, or was he just trying to change the flow of conversation to try and keep him off balance? Truthfully, although he would never admit to it, Severus had neither liked nor been happy to hear how small and vulnerable Harry's voice had become when talking of dreams and how he felt when waking. However when Harry answered there was no trace of vulnerability left, although he did continue to stare at the floor.

"No Sir. You told me not to." Severus merely stood there watching him for several moments.

"I believe the potion is ready to be used." Turning around to face the cauldron, Severus heard Harry move off the stool before he appeared on the other side of the bench. Severus carefully took a pair of tongs and, with delicacy borne from years of work with complex and fickle potions, withdrew the quill. Placing it gently on the parchment that Harry had provided, he put the tongs down on the desk and stepped back a little to watch.

Without assistance the quill jumped up and began to move swiftly across the parchment. Neither of them spoke while it worked. Soon it stopped, the quill dissolving into a fine golden dust that fell from the parchment as Harry picked it up.

The entire time that the quill had been writing, Harry had been praying that it would contradict the charm from the previous night. Sneaking a glance at Snape he saw that the Potions Master was clearly bored and wanted to be done. Taking a deep breath, both mental and physical, Harry began to read...

"Now that this is done perhaps we can….Potter….Potter where are you going? Come back here immediately!" Severus demanded, voice loud but just short of yelling. It was no use; Harry had grabbed his bag and run out of the classroom, leaving a very confused Potions Master behind. Frowning in bemusement, Severus moved around the desk, bending down and picking up the parchment that Harry had dropped in his haste to leave. He began to examine it, wondering what on earth the by could have seen to cause such a reaction, hoping it would explain...

Severus froze when he saw the names entered at the bottom.

At the bottom, as expected, was Harry Potter's own name, with a short line leading upwards to the two boxes where his parent's names were displayed. _Lily Potter nee Evans_, again as expected, was displayed in the box on the right, with the lack of lines above indicating that she was a muggleborn. But in the box on the left, where the name of Harry's father, James Potter, should have been displayed, there was a different name…

Instead it read _Severus Snape_.

----

The moment he'd read the name on the parchment, Harry had known he couldn't stay there, that he couldn't be in the same room as him. At least…not yet.

_How? _ He thought. _How can _Snape_ be my dad?_

The thought turned over and over in his head as he walked, not really paying attention to where he was going.

"Potter!" The shout stopped Harry in his tracks, bringing him back to reality with a start that he didn't let Malfoy see. He turned to face the blond Slytherin, who was unsurprisingly smirking at him, and who was, as usual, flanked by his two moron friends Crabbe and Goyle.

"All alone Potter? Have the Mudblood and the Weasel finally had enough of you?" Harry really didn't want to deal with Malfoy right now. His anger had already started to rise on hearing the name Potter, after all, that wasn't the truth – not any more – was it? No, he wasn't a Potter – he was a _Snape_!

Malfoy however, was unaware of this, and completely failed to notice the potential volcano burning in front of him.

"What do you want Malfoy?" Harry snarled at him. Malfoy finally began to notice something was wrong, but foolishly chose to ignore it.

"What are you doing down here? I thought you saintly Gryffindors preferred the high towers?" Harry, who between one thing and another hadn't been paying much attention to his location, finally noticed he was still in the dungeons of the castle.

"Push off, Malfoy." Harry snapped, really not in the mood for a confrontation right now.

"You know, I think we should teach you some manners Potter. Don't you guys?" Malfoy turned and added the last to his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, who began to move forward smirking. Whereas Malfoy had his back to Harry – and thus Harry's expression, however – Crabbe and Goyle did not, and they were possessed of the sense to stop dead when, at the second mention of the Potter name, Harry lost control of his anger. Now not only his eyes, but his very being seemed to burn and radiate with the anger he felt.

"I said push off." He spat at them. In an alcove behind him, a suit of armour blew apart with a loud bang, the pieces clattering to the floor.

Malfoy's eyes widened in panic and fear as he spun around to view the source of the commotion. Backing up, he wisely turned and ran, closely followed by Crabbe and Goyle, who were equally afraid of the angry young man they left behind.

Spinning around, Harry started walking again, ignoring the strange glances from students who had appeared during the commotion, and avoiding some of the still spinning pieces of armour. He didn't look back, and so he didn't see a very pale Snape watching him; he just continued to walk, lost again in his own thoughts and slowly cooling anger.

----

After picking up the parchment and seeing his own name staring back at him in that delicate gold script, Severus had momentarily frozen in disbelief. The boy was his! How was this possible? Could he have brewed the potion wrong?

As soon as that thought entered his mind he dismissed it. There was no way he could have fumbled the mixing of the ingredients. What he held, what he had read, had to be the truth.

Harry Potter was his son…

He needed a drink…and he needed to talk to someone about this. Fortunately there was someone who could not only help him with the alcohol, but that he could trust with a topic as delicate as this – Albus Dumbledore.

----

Knowing that the eccentric old man had a damn decent vintage bottle of brandy, and that he would be in his office about now, Severus ensured he had the parchment safely concealed on his person – there was no way he was leaving such dangerous information lying around – left the classroom, and locked the door before he started to make his way to the headmasters office.

He had just turned the corner, heading for the main staircase that led out of the dungeons and up to the rest of the castle, when he heard a distinctly familiar and unwelcome voice shout 'Potter!'

Keeping out of sight and slipping around the corner in the direction the shout had come from, Severus saw Draco Malfoy and his two friends, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, stop Harry.

Unlike Malfoy, Severus could sense the anger beginning to radiate off Harry, but he chose to remain in the shadows. With his own thoughts and feelings for the young man still confused – and no doubt Harry's thoughts and feelings towards him equally confused – he did not particularly want to have to face him in a corridor slowly filling with students.

Severus watched from the shadows as the incident between Harry and Malfoy played out, the first seeds of respect being sown for the potential power that Harry would one day be able to consciously wield, as one of the School's enchanted suits of armour exploded with the boy's anger. So too did a faint hope begin to grow, for the first time since the war with the Dark Lord had begun and he had defected to the side of Albus Dumbledore, that perhaps, just perhaps, there _was_ someone who was more than a match for the Dark Lord.

He was barely aware of his changing feelings however, for he was too busy wondering what the revelation of his true parentage had done to Harry, and then consequently wondering when he had started to care, or even think of him, as Harry. But caring was what he was supposed to do now, wasn't it, being the boy's father after all… The question was, would Harry _want_ him as a father?

Giving a small shake of the head to rouse himself from his thoughts, Severus started once more in the direction of the Headmaster's office. He needed to talk to Albus, but above all, he _really_ needed that drink.

----

Arriving at the stone gargoyle, Severus spoke the password, but instead of stepping onto the steps and allowing them to carry him up to the office, as he would normally do, he raced up them. He paused at the top – just long enough to knock and receive a muffled 'Come in.' – before he opened the door and entered, finding Albus Dumbledore seated behind his desk as usual.

"Severus." Ablus greeted, indicating the Potions Master should sit in the chair opposite him. Severus refused, preferring to pace in time to his racing thoughts. "My dear boy, whatever is troubling you?" Albus asked, seeing him begin to pace, and knowing it was something the Potions Master only did when the issue to be discussed was important. Pacing seemed to be the way Severus subconsciously channelled intense stress and thought.

"I just discovered something…and I have to admit I'm not sure what to do about it." So saying, Severus paused in his pacing long enough to pull out the parchment detailing Harry's family tree, and drop it onto the desk saying. "Read that." He patently ignored the surprised expression on Albus' face at his admission of uncertainty.

Picking up the parchment, Albus scanned over what was written, a second look of surprise appearing on his face. Looking up at Severus, who was still pacing, he asked, "how is this possible?" Severus paused and gave a snort of laughter.

"Really Albus, I would have thought at your age that you would know how children are created." Sarcasm dripped off every word, and he shot a pointed glance at the bottle of brandy in the cupboard at the back of the office. Albus frowned slightly, but stood and retrieved a the bottle and two glasses. Pouring out the liquor, he offered a glass to Severus who gratefully took it and began sipping the warming, dark liquid.

"Now Severus, this is no time – and no topic – for sarcasm. I merely meant was Lily aware of this – as you well know. And if she knew you were the father, why would she have hidden the knowledge?" Dumbledore gently chastised, sipping brandy from his own glass.

Severus sighed and finally sank into the chair that he had been offered before, cradling his drink.

"I'm sorry Albus. In answer to your question, I believe so. Our separation was…not the most graceful; she probably believed I neither deserved nor wanted to be a father." He gave another snort of bitter laughter and took a hearty gulp of the brandy. "She may have been right at least about me deserving such a privilege." He muttered.

"How can you be so sure she knew?" Albus wondered aloud, still looking thoughtful.

"Because of the child's appearance." The level of brandy in Severus' glass was rapidly diminishing now. "Have you never wondered why he looks so much like James? Why the only feature of Lily's he has are her eyes?" He paused, the memories that he had failed to extract into his pensieve predictably flashing through his mind. "And I'm sure you remember – Lily was always the best at Charms." Severus couldn't help the feeling of pride at his memory of Lily's excellent ability at charms.

"I remember," Albus said, "and it does explain why he has slowly started to change. The charms placed on him at birth must be beginning to break down, revealing his true appearance."

"So you'd noticed it too. I was going to talk to you about his change in appearance…" A new, and to him at least, disturbing thought occurred to Severus at that point – the Dark Lord. "Albus," he began, a new and sudden urgency entering his voice. "We must re-new the charms…"

"But Severus…." Albus interrupted, only to be overridden before he could finish his thought.

"No 'buts', Albus. They need to be renewed, otherwise we will not be the only ones to realise the truth. Certain children in Slytherin have been brought up to recognise family traits in appearances, they will quickly spot the likeness and jump to the correct conclusion, and consequently the Dark Lord will also be alerted. I will _not_ have him placed in such danger." Dumbledore sighed in resignation. The risk had already occurred to him, but he had been unsure as to the reaction it would elicit from his friend.

"I do wish you would call him Voldemort, Severus." He said, stalling the issue and ignoring the slight wince that the name caused. "And unfortunately, I believe that you are right. Should the charms be removed completely, Harry will be in considerable danger…"

"With all due respect Headmaster," Harry's voice came from the office door and both men jumped slightly, having been too intent on their conversation to notice either the knock or the door itself opening. "I've been in danger since Voldemort came after me and failed to kill me when I was just a baby."

----

AN: WOW yes it's finally happened, the big reveal! Things can only get interesting from now on…and more complicated to write, but then that's why I love working on this…At least I think it is LOL either way I do enjoy it, more importantly I love and enjoy all your lovely reviews that you keep sending to me.

Thank you so much everyone I appreciate and cherish every single one.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter it took a long time to get right with a lot of help from my brilliant Beta, but between us and our very busy lives, we finally did and I am now working on the next chapter, which sees many things happening so it may take some time for before I can get it to you.

Not only will there be THE TALK but there is a lot of work with my timeline that I need to work out, not to mention the amount of characters being brought in and dealt with including one very temperamental grim ;) so hey I apologise for the delay but it will be worth it.

Potion name: - Priori from Latin _Prior_ meaning **former** or **prior**.

Progenitas from Latin _Progenitor_ meaning **founder of a family** or **ancestor**

Keep writing and have fun

V.d.Mouse


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Anything that you recognise does not belong to me. Harry Potter and Severus Snape along with all their friends belong to the oh so lucky J. K. Rowling.

This is a response to a Severitus Challenge. The only thing that does belong to me is the way that this has been written.

Major thanks to Zephyr5 for betaing and helping work past any writer's block that has happened by giving me great ideas, as well as writing the sorting hat song

Summery: Set after the fourth book but before the fifth. Harry discovers in his fifth year that who he though was his father is wrong. Can he learn to accept the truth and form a relationship with the man he has hated for so many years? Can Severus look past his hatred for an old foe and see the boy he must accept as his own?

**Chapter 9**

Severus sat there staring at Harry, briefly their eyes met, before Harry turned away quickly to gaze at the Headmaster but it had been enough for Severus to see the uncertainty and confusion that Harry was clearly trying to hide.

"Harry, please come in and have a seat. I'm sure all of this is just as confusing for you as it is for Professor Snape." Dumbledore said while indicated the chair next to Severus.

"Albus" Severus growled glaring at the headmaster; he preferred to appear in control of himself at all times. Harry crossed the office and took the seat, his gaze not leaving Dumbledore's desk, as he refused to look at Severus, who had resumed watching the young man.

"I'm sorry I ran out Professor." Harry said quietly, his eyes never moving to look at either man.

"It's understandable." Severus replied, "You need not apologise. However, the suit of armour…." He didn't finish the sentence as Harry visibly winced when he mentioned it.

"Now Severus I'm sure we can forgive Harry this time" Dumbledore said. How the headmaster knew of the incident puzzled Severus as he knew he had been the only teacher present unless he was just guessing as a result of the unfinished sentence.

"Of course Albus" he conceded, he would explain about what he had seen at a later time.

"Thank you sir" Harry said.

"Now Harry, I presume you came here to talk to me about what has been revealed this night?" Dumbledore asked, gazing at Harry over the top of his half-moon spectacles. Harry merely nodded, still refusing to look at either man. "Well," Dumbledore continued, "as flattered as I am that you both trust me enough to come to me with this, I believe that it is an issue best left for the two of you to work through together."

Harry looked up at the headmaster eyes wide with horror, and they both immediately opened their mouths to begin protesting but Dumbledore held up his hand forestalling their comments, and finished saying, "of course you are welcome to come and talk to me at any time. But I firmly believe that you should discuss this with each other first."

Harry gave a small sigh and then gave a single nod of acceptance before rising, whilst Severus looked ready to protest further but the warning look in Dumbledore's eyes made him realise it would be pointless and so he too rose. In a slightly softer tone then normal he said, "Very well. Come with me." Before leaving with Harry following him, but at a slightly slower pace.

Severus was forced to wait a moment in the corridor as Harry had not yet emerged from the staircase. Once they he had though they began heading down to the dungeons during which time they remained silent but Severus did alter his pace slightly to accommodate for Harry's slower one.

Harry being a little lost in his own thoughts didn't notice this small compromise from his professor, his mind still whirling slightly from all that had been revealed.

Harry had assumed that they were heading for Severus's office, but was soon proven wrong when he saw the stern wizard walk straight past it and carried on to a different door that was harder to find as it seemed to blend so well with the wall.

With a flick of his wand Severus disabled the security wards he had in place and pushed the door open, indicating for Harry to precede him into the room.

In his second year Harry had flown to Hogwarts in a flying car with Ron, once there they had been caught by Snape and taken to his office, which had been...unsettling, as the walls had been lined with shelves of glass jars filled with unidentifiable creatures. As such he was expecting to see something eerily similar in the man's private rooms, which is why Harry was surprised at what he found when he walked through the door.

The embers, burning in the fireplace were charmed to never die, so that it kept the rooms at a comfortably warm temperature. In front of the fireplace there was a coffee table made of a dark but rich mahogany, the top of which was covered in marks, showing its continued use over many years. This was flanked by a large black leather sofa with a matching armchair to one side of it; the leather on both was worn with age, giving it a soft and comfortable look.

Immediately behind the seats stood a small table with two chairs of a paler wood, then what was obviously the professors personal work area. A desk made of the same wood as the coffee table and a desk chair covered in black material that, like the sofa and armchair looked well worn and comfortable to sit in, along with a large L-shape worktop which stretched across half of the far wall and round behind the desk. In the space left behind the desk, and by the door, stood two large bookcases containing many different books.

On the floor there were thick, dark sapphire blue rugs to protect from the slight chill of the stone floor. Three doors led off to different rooms but they were both closed, however Harry guessed at least one led to a bedroom.

While Harry stood there taking all of this in, Severus had entered, closed the door behind them and moved across to the armchair, sinking down into it. He indicated the sofa and said, "Have a seat. Obviously these are my personal rooms, so no one will disturb us here." Harry just gave a single nod and sat down on the edge of the leather sofa placing his bag at his feet.

Tension filled the air as they sat watching the glowing embers; Severus glanced up several times at Harry before he finally broke awkward silence. "You must believe me, I never knew. Your mother never told me." There was a tinge of desperation to his voice that Severus hated hearing as it showed a small loss of control, _must be the effect of the alcohol_ he thought to himself. Taking a deep breath he did his best to push the feeling of desperation and anxiety away and regain complete control.

Finally after several long, silent seconds, Harry looked at him, "I do believe you" he replied quietly "but I don't understand. How is it possible that you're my dad?" The confusion he felt was evident in his expression and Severus decided that sarcasm would not be appropriate in this situation, but could not help the small sigh before he began to speak.

"I told you in the hospital wing, I am not able to remove all the memories of my service to the Dark Lord, when I teach you Occlamency"

Harry nodded at this but stayed silent.

"That is because my pensive is full of memories of Lily, your mother." Severus finished softly refusing to look at Harry keeping his eyes trained on the fire as he surprised himself at how filled with emotion his voice was, again most likely due to the alcohol allowing him to open himself up in a way that he hadn't for a long time, at least not with anyone other than Dumbledore.

This new information surprised Harry, obviously there had been something between his mother and Snape for him to be born, but he had not considered the possibility of a long-term relationship, or that any memory of it might cause pain to Snape.

"What happened?" he asked then quickly added, "If you don't want to talk about it I'll understand."

Severus looked up and regarded Harry for a moment before deciding, "You have a right to know." Then rising from the chair he walked over to one of the shelves behind his desk and picked up a pensive. Seating it on the desk he removed several long silver strands one at a time, restoring the memories to his own mind before returning and sliding back down into the chair, his eyes taking on a distant look as he fell back into the memories.

"It began in our first year at Hogwarts. Your mother was a natural at Charms; while I exhibited a natural and already proficient talent at potions, something that my father was...rigorous about in studying so that I was capable of brewing at the level of a fourth year student before I had even started at Hogwarts. Unfortunately he was not as...focused on my development in other areas, including Charms and so I was forced to work hard in learning them.

Lily was an exceptional woman. She saw how I struggled, and ignoring the fact that I was in Slytherin offered to tutor me. This also led to me offering to help her with potions, an area she struggled with slightly herself. We became friends.

Over time we grew closer, something that caused a great deal of dismay to the Gryffindors that hated not just Slytherin but me in particular, James Potter and his friends. It was in our fourth year that Lily and I began to date; it was just after we left Hogwarts that I proposed and she said yes."

A smile pulled at Severus's lips as he remembered that joyous night, a smile that soon disappeared as he continued. "We were engaged for less than a year when I became one of the Dark Lords followers to spy for the headmaster, but eventually The Dark Lord began to be suspicious of all the time I was spending with a known muggle-born witch and so I decided that it would be safer for your mother if I no longer had contact with her." Severus snapped back to reality "You must understand, my actions were the result of my intentions to draw the Dark Lords attention away from her. She must have been pregnant with you when we separated; she never told me."

Severus was watching Harry for his reaction to what he had been told. Much of the initial confusion had disappeared, but it was clear he still had questions.

"How did my mum end up with da….James?"

"I don't know." Severus calmly admitted "By then I had sunk deeper into the Dark Lord's forces in an attempt to avoid suspicion. I only knew of their marriage due to the Daily Prophet's wedding announcement page, until then I was unaware of Lily having any feelings for Potter beyond friendship. You would need to speak to the headmaster about that, he may be able to tell you." He strove to keep all emotion out of his voice as he discussed the man he considered to have stolen Lily from him. It was the one thing that had driven him to finally feel the same intense hatred that James had always felt for him, hatred that until that night he had taken out on Harry while still attempting to protect him in honour of the life debt he owed to James.

They fell back into silence, as Harry returned his gaze to the fire, while Severus continued to watch him knowing that he would have more questions, most likely ones that he would find to be uncomfortable to answer.

Eventually Harry looked up and proved him right by asking "Why didn't you warn her about the attack on Halloween? Why didn't you try to save her then too? When she needed you most?"

Severus had expected that Harry would ask this and he thought he was prepared for it, but now realised just how wrong he was as he felt himself become a little breathless at how blunt and defiant Harry looked at he asked. Nevertheless, he returned the young man's stare as evenly as he could before saying, "I tried to. But I was trapped unable to reach or contact either your mother or the headmaster." At his words he saw an angry spark in the young man's eyes once more, and whether due to the alcohol he had consumed or his own struggle in trying to deal with the situation made the mistake of trying to mollify Harry's anger by saying in as calm a voice as he could "I understand how you feel…."

"No you don't!" Harry interrupted, his anger flaring at both the words and the professors calm tone "She was my mum! She needed you, and you let her die!"

The sharp memory of Lily's death, and the feelings of loss and guilt that he still felt regarding his part in it coupled with the lingering effects of the strong brandy overpowered Severus, sparking own anger so he couldn't stop himself from glaring back at Harry. "You're right." He spat out venomously "That's what you want to hear isn't it? That you're _right_, perhaps there_ was_ something I could have done and I was too blinded by panic about possibly losing the _one _woman I_ loved_ to notice, so _I let her die_!" His anger completely swamped him now, causing his voice to rise in volume so that he was shouting, "But by Merlin you _cannot_ make me suffer anymore than I have done every _moment_ of my miserable fucking life, since I lost the _one_ person I could ever say I truly _loved_! So go ahead and blame me but know this, there is nothing, _nothing_ that you could do to make me feel worse!" Silence fell between them as they sat glaring at each other, in the end Harry was the first one to look away.

After several long moments the tension eased a sense of calmness returned between them and Harry asked, in a voice so soft that Severus almost missed it, "What was she like?"

Harry sounded so vulnerable and small with that one question that Severus felt a touch of guilt at having shouted like he had; especially over what most would agree had been a justified comment from the younger man.

He took a moment to consider his answer, "She was a very beautiful, kind and caring woman." A hint of a smile touched his lips "She was also very generous and never cared what people thought about her, or anything she did. She was a true Gryffindor." He paused before softly saying, "You can be a lot like her at times." Harry looked up at him at that and Severus saw gratitude in his eyes.

Steeling himself and making sure to continue talking in a soft voice Severus made a quick decision, as well as trying to sound comforting, something he rarely did for his own Slytherins, he said "Harry, this has been a shock to both of us, but I am sure that everything will be ok."

Giving a small smile to the potions master, Harry said, "I like you calling me Harry. It sounds better."

At that Severus couldn't stop a small smile re-appearing on his own face, before he turned serious once again, "Well in private I'm sure I can remember to call you thus; however I hope you understand I cannot do so in lessons or any other time we are public. Neither can my behaviour towards you alter, as it would draw the notice of children from certain families that could then result in endangering my position as a spy."

Harry nodded, "I know. But at least now I know it really isn't anything personal."

Severus arched an eyebrow and his smile grew a little more as he said, "Of course now that we know you are my son, I expect your potions grade to improve."

"It's not like I don't try. You're just too strict" Harry said defensively but with a smile of his own "I get on ok in my other classes, like transfiguration" he added.

Severus just shook his head at him, "Yes well, Minnerva _is_ your head of house"

"Yeah but she doesn't favour Gryffindor students like you do the Slytherins." Harry retorted.

Severus smirked at him "That is precisely what students are made to think, but I assure, _all_ of the head of houses, including Minnerva McGonagall, show preference to their students. I just happen to be more overt than my colleagues."

Harry gave him a disbelieving look as if to say 'sure-they-do', when another thought occurred to him, one with the potential to make everything that had happened the best thing in the world. "Does this mean that I won't have to return to the Dursleys?" He asked hopefully.

Severus wanted to say yes after what he had witnessed this summer, but knew he could not. "I'm sorry Harry, it might not be a…. pleasing thought, and as hard as this may be to believe, you _do_ have protection there that not even the headmaster can replicate, not even here at Hogwarts. I'm afraid that unless the Dark Lord is defeated before the next summer holidays you will have to return to them."

Harry just nodded his head looking back down at his feet, a mournful look suffusing his features, "It's okay I understand. I guess it would be too dangerous" he responded gloomy.

Severus felt sympathy for the young wizard wash through him, after all he knew only too well the pain of growing up with a relative who made life seem miserable, thankful that he had had that one life line that had kept him sane, unfortunately this could not be so for Harry.

Trying to soften his voice and succeeding only slightly, he said "I wish I could take you away from them Harry but it would be too dangerous."

Harry just nodded again. They sat in silence for several more moments before Severus glanced up at the clock only to find it was well past curfew. "Harry, it's late and this has been a lot for the both of us to take in, as such we need to think of getting some rest. Come I will escort you back to Gryffindor tower."

Without a word Harry picked up his back before standing and followed Severus out of his rooms and down the dark and deserted corridor.

As they walked Severus tilted his head slightly to look at Harry, then quietly said "It would be best if you did not mention any of what we have talked about to anyone. I suppose you may tell your two friends but no one else"

Harry, still lost in whatever thought had him, barely nodded as if he was only partially listening to his professor. Severus decided to leave him to his thoughts and the rest of the walk passed in silence until they reached the portrait, only to find the fat lady asleep in her frame.

Before Harry could step forward and poke her awake and give the password, he felt a hand fall onto his shoulder, looking at the man he now had to start think of as his father, waited impassively for whatever he wanted to say.

Severus regarded him with a neutral blank expression on his face before saying in an equally neutral voice that was slightly tinged with the comfort he had offered before, "It will be ok Harry. And we can deal with the charms placed on you during our next occlamency lesson"

Harry attempted to smile but Severus could tell it was strained but when he spoke it was with a completely neutral tone "I had better go, as you said it's late and Ron and Hermione will be worried" With that he stepped forward and woke the portrait which proceeded to grumble about students being out of bed late before admitting him entrance.

Severus watched him pass through the hole behind the portrait and waited for it to close before heading back to his own rooms in a black swirl of his robes.

AN :- Hey everyone, well sorry this has been so long in coming, but life has seriously gotten in the way over the past few years.

This is only a short chapter covering that first conversation between them and I hope you all like, I am currently putting the finishing touches to the next chapter that will be up in the next week or two.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to work that pesky Grim in over these two chapters but he should be turning up soon causing plenty of trouble for our two stars, but not before our favourite werewolf does so first.

I would like to say a huge thank you to all the people that have continued to read and review this story while I have been absent from the site, it was truly wonderful to get those and the only reason why I tried to get back to it as quickly as I could, but as I said life wasn't that easy to push aside.

Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter and any comments are as always welcome.

Keep writing and have fun

V d mouse


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